The Abomination
by DarkSwordMage
Summary: Kazuya Aoi is an aberrant existence. In the world of Pandora's and Limiters, Kazuya blurs the line between them.
1. Chapter 1

**I know I said I would devote myself to the Fallen Sekirei but I was inspired and I felt the urge to write this. I hope you will enjoy this, and depending on reader response this could just as easily remain a one shot or be expanded. If you don't know what an M107 Rifle is then Google it. I tried not to go into too much gun jargon dealing with it so that's why I didn't go into great detail. Anyway, enjoy!**

Prologue

"Onee-chan, please don't go!"

On his hands and knees the seven year old Kazuya Aoi looks up at his older sister Kazuha with tears in his eyes. Dressed in a Pandora's combat uniform Kazuha smiles down at her younger brother, kneeling down to wrap Kazuya in her arms. Unlike Kazuha Kazuya is dressed in normal clothing, shorts and a t shirt. The two of them are in the living room of their home, as the most powerful Pandora Kazuha has been living off of a generous government salary and in a comfortable home. The Pandoras and Limiters are the only weapons humanity has against the NOVAs, and the governments of the world generously compensate them, especially someone in Kazuha's position.

Smiling at Kazuya Kazuha doesn't want to cause him any pain or heartache, but Kazuya knows as well as she does that Kazuha cannot stay, the call has come down and she must go. A NOVA has appeared and if it isn't stopped then millions of innocent people are going to die. If it comes down to her and a handful of other trained Pandoras and Limiters dying versus millions of people and the annihilation of an entire city, then she will gladly go and sacrifice her life with no regrets.

"I have to go Kazuya." Kazuha says gently. "You know that if I don't people are going to die."

More tears running down his face Kazuha's words do nothing to console her younger sibling. The only family he has in the entire world is his older sister Kazuha, ever since he was born the only person to ever treat him with love and kindness has been her. He knows that other kids have families, mothers, fathers and aunts and uncles. When he'd asked Kazuha about that she'd told him that their parents died in an airplane crash after he was born, and the rest of their extended family lived overseas and couldn't afford to bring them to another country. With the world in need of people to join the Genetics program she'd done just that, and quickly became the most powerful Pandora ever seen, and with her younger brother doubtlessly set to follow in her footsteps the Japanese government had eagerly given her the house they were living in along with a generous salary.

"But if you go Onee-chan you're going to die! I love you and I care about you and I don't want to lose you!" Kazuya continues sobbing, desperate to prevent his sister from leaving him to go off to what he somehow knows will be her certain death.

"I know Kazuya." Kazuha assures her younger sibling. "I love you too, and I always will."

"Please don't leave Onee-chan!" Kazuya pleads with her burying his head in his sister's stomach. "Please..."

"This is something I have to do Kazuya." Kazuha insists softly. "I'm going so I can protect you and countless other people. As long as I know you're behind me, I'm going to do everything I can to protect you."

"...Nee-chan..." Kazuya sniffles, his voice a broken whisper.

"I love you Kazuya." Kazuha says again. "I will always love you."

Slowly pulling away from him Kazuha steps back, turning away from her younger brother while he remains on his knees, sobbing and sniffling, tears running down his cheeks in rivulets. With nothing else to say Kazuha heads for the door to the hall. Outside the room her Limiter is waiting patiently for his Pandora to say her last good byes to her younger brother.

"Good bye Kazuya." Kazuha says as she puts her hand on the door.

Watching Kazuha literally about to walk out of his life and die Kazuya feels a surge of denial fill him. The seven year old boy loves his sister and wants to stay with her more than anything else in the world.

"NO!" Kazuya cries out in denial.

Beneath Kazuya the ground begins to glow, a spider web of blue lines lancing out from beneath him, the circular web extending to cover the entirety of the room. Recognizing the sound of the Freezing field Kazuha has a half moment to turn and look, to see her seven year old brother extending a Freezing field toward her like a seasoned Limiter.

"That..." Kazuha's mouth stops mid word as the Freezing effect hits her body.

Chapter 1: The Abomination

**Seven Years Later**

Sitting in the cargo area of a Black Hawk Mark III gunship Kazuya breathes slowly, in spite of the steady 'chop' of the helicopter's main rotor entering his ears. Most people become incredibly nervous when they fly in a helicopter, but for Kazuya the simple ride to West Genetics Academy in the gunship is nothing. For seven years Kazuya has been in military custody, the day his sister left he learned he has the ability to use an omni-directional Freezing field similar to the NOVA ability with the same name. As a seven year old boy without a Pandora's mature stigmata implanted into his body his ability to use Freezing was unprecedented, and the United Nations Special Defense Force, or UNSDF, the branch of the United Nations dedicated to fighting and defeating the NOVAs and therefore the government group in charge of the Genetics Program had been very interested in him. With Kazuha gone the UNSDF had taken him into military custody and began to train him, secretly experimenting on him, seeing how his abilities could be altered or enhanced...

_Seven years..._ Kazuya thinks to himself, staring out the window. _Seven years since nee-chan died..._

Looking out the window Kazuya Aoi can see a school campus in the distance, steadily approaching. However, this is no ordinary school, it is the Genetics West Academy, the largest and original Academy created for training the Pandoras and Limiters whose purpose is to fight against the extra-dimensional monsters known as NOVAs.

The helicopter shifting Kazuya turns away from the window, the helicopter slowly lowering to the ground as the pilot brings the military gunship down to land. The helicopter landing on the ground with a sudden lurch Kazuya can hear the chop of the main rotor begin to quiet as the pilot shuts the helicopter down. After a few minutes the helicopter pad is quiet, and Kazuya removes the ear muffs from his head, releasing the buckles on the harness around his body a moment later.

Dressed in the Genetics School Uniform Kazuya looks like an ordinary school boy. Glancing toward the front of the gunship the pilot leans around and gives Kazuya a thumb up, showing his approval. With an appreciative nod Kazuya steps toward the side door on the 'chopper' and the door opens, a man dressed in a flight suit and helmet standing outside.

"Thank you, sir." Kazuya says in a clipped tone, hopping down from the helicopter to the cement landing pad.

Wearing the flight helmet Kazuya can't see his face, but the co pilot does smile at him.

"Good luck and give em hell!" The co pilot offers, and Kazuya nods.

"Sir, Yes, sir." Kazuya answers rigidly.

Standing not 10 feet away are two older woman that Kazuya doesn't recognize. Together the two older women approach the helicopter as the co pilot heads back for the cockpit. The first is a dark haired woman with short hair dressed in a white blouse and blue skirt with black stockings and dark loafers. The second is a green haired woman with her long hair hanging from the back of her head. She's dressed in a light purple blouse and a black skirt with gray shoes and a white doctor's coat. The both of them look at him with a smile on their faces, and as Kazuya appraises both of them as they approach, Kazuya getting the distinct feeling that they were aware he was coming and came specifically to greet him. Why they would do that, he does not know. His arrival at Genetics West was no big secret, and it's fairly hard to miss a military helicopter approaching.

"Kazuya Aoi?" The one in white coat asks, and he nods once in affirmation.

"Yes sensei?" Kazuya asks politely, speaking to the woman with the respect due to her likely being a faculty member.

"It's nice to meet you." The doctor smiles at him. "My name is Elize Schmitz and the young lady next to me is Yumi Kim. I am the doctor here and Yumi is the physics and training instructor here."

"Greetings Elize-sensei, Yumi-sensei." Kazuya offers to both of them, bowing his head respectfully.

"We both fought alongside your onee-chan Kazuha." Elize explains to him. "She was a good person and a great friend."

Hearing his sisters name a solemn look comes to Kazuya's dark eyes. Looking down the young man simply nods.

"I miss her." He says quietly, and both older women share a knowing look.

"She died protecting everyone she cared about." Yumi turns her gaze back to him, trying to change the subject. "She loved you and sacrificed herself willingly to protect you. If you want to honor her memory then do your best here to become the strongest Limiter you can so you can protect everyone just like she did."

Closing his eyes Kazuya slowly bobs his head in affirmation. Raising his head after a moment he looks between the Academy's Doctor and Physics teacher.

"I have an appointment with Sister Margaret." Kazuya begins, ready to say more when both of them step aside.

"We know." Elize assures, motioning for him to go with her left hand. "We just wanted to come and welcome you to the Academy."

"Thank you, both of you." Kazuya offers to both of them before he starts toward the Academy.

**XXX**

Approaching the Academy Kazuya walks at a clipped pace. He has memorized a map of the Academy and it's campus so he knows exactly where Sister Margaret's office is. Along the way he has to walk through the main building's courtyard, and it is in that courtyard that Kazuya first meets other students at the Academy.

Ahead of him is a gathering of students, the crowd a mix of males and females. A murmur seems to hang over the crowd, and Kazuya approaches the group hesitantly. Being who and what he is Kazuya knows that he's going to draw a lot of attention to himself, though at this point the only thing Kazuya wants to do is simply attend school here and have the same kind of experiences his sister Kazuha had.

"How dare you!" A woman with a British accent yells at the top of her lungs. "How dare you put your filthy hands on me!"

"I'm sorry Satellizer-sempai!" A panicked male voice screams adamantly in response. "I tripped and I'm sorry!"

Hearing that name a slight frown comes to Kazuya's face.

_ Satellizer? As in Satellizer el Bridgett?_

When his sister had died Kazuya had been told that her stigmata had been removed from her body for study, to try and figure out exactly how Kazuha had been able to be implanted with so many and remain a Pandora rather than begin to transform into a NOVA. After years of study they'd finally decided to implant Kazuha's stigmata into several Pandoras from the next generation, in an attempt to try and replicate Kazuha's abilities in multiple warriors. He'd asked to know exactly whom received his older sister's stigmata, and the military had fortunately complied with his request.

"All of you filthy men are the same!" Satellizer continues. "All you care about is touching us and how quickly you can get between our legs!"

"Satellizer el Bridgett?" Kazuya asks, raising his voice to be heard.

Immediately the crowd turns toward him, some of the students parting to allow him to see the scene at the center of the gathering of students. Taking the scene in Kazuya is greeted by the sight of a bespectacled buxom blonde woman on knees, a male student on the ground beneath her, the woman's left hand on his collar, her right hand raised and balled into a fist.

Unlike the other girls at the Academy Satellizer el Bridget is not dressed in a girl's uniform but rather a red dress with gold accents. She has a curvacious frame and while there is some resemblance to Kazuha Kazuya knows that she is_ not_ his sister. She has long wavy blonde hair and blue eyes, her physique more suited to a model than a proper soldier.

Looking toward him Kazuya gets a good look at her face, seeing her blue eyes behind her black glasses, and Kazuya instantly recognizes her. The names and faces of every Pandora that were implanted with Kazuha's stigmata are burned into his mind.

"Who are you?" She demands irately, clearly ready to administer a beating to the unfortunate male student beneath her.

Looking at her Kazuya clasps his hands behind his back, looking down his nose at her with disgust in his eyes. She somewhat resembles his older sister Kazuha, though in his mind the Pandora about to beat a male student half to death is responsible for pilfering her corpse and trying to imitate her. Something he takes as a grievous insult to her memory.

_If not for people like her who wanted her stigmata to try and gain her power for their own selfish benefit she would've been allowed to rest in peace, but instead her body was dissected like some animal, her stigmata divvied up among the rich and influential._

"So, this is how you honor the memory of Kazuha Aoi?" He asks with restrained anger bleeding into his tone. "You beat up younger students for accidentally touching you?"

Hearing Kazuha's name Satellizer blinks in surprise. Very few people are aware that she has six of Kazuha Aoi's stigmata implanted into her body. How it is that this boy knows that when she hasn't told anyone is beyond her.

_ How is it possible that this random person knows that I have six of the heroic stigmata implanted in my body? I had to use my family's influence to acquire them and who received them was intentionally kept a secret. The UNSDF didn't want anyone to know that they were experimenting on Kazuha's body because it might cause international outrage._

"The hero of the 8th Clash?" One of the assembled students asks. "What does Satellizer have to do with her?"

"He intentionally grabbed my chest!" Satellizer insists, trying to change the subject and tightening her grip on the poor student's collar.

"I tripped!" The man insists with panic coloring his tone. "I didn't mean to grope your breasts I swear it was an accident!"

"So you claim!" Satellizer turns her attention back toward the male student she seems set on clobbering. "But I felt you squeeze my breasts! I know you meant to do it!"

"It was an accident! I swear I tripped and I didn't mean to grope you! I don't want to die!" The man pleads, clearly fearing for his life. "I know you're the Untouchable Queen and you hurt any man who tries to touch you! I swear I would never intentionally touch you!"

"QUIET!" Satellizer snaps, her right fist coming down and meeting his jaw with a loud 'crack.'

His head spinning from the blow Satellizer raises her fist again, ready to continue delivering the just punishment the disgusting man deserves.

"Enough!" Kazuya speaks up, Satellizer stopping with her fist raised.

Turning her attention toward Kazuya her face is set in a disgusted scowl.

"Stay out of this you disgusting filth!" Satellizer admonishes him, turning her gaze back toward the man beneath her. "He deserves to be punished for what he's done!"

Satellizer brings her fist down again, striking him and bashing in his nose, a spurt of blood flying from the crushed cartilage. Scowling Kazuya marches forward, every eye in the crowd watching him as he approaches Satellizer, the blonde haired woman ignoring him and raising her hand to strike him again when Kazuya reaches out, grasping her hand with his, his fingers wrapping around her wrist, holding her hand tight.

Feeling his hand on her sleeve Satellizer spins her blonde haired head toward him, glaring at him with anger in her blue eyes. For a heartbeat she expects his touch to inspire the same disgust and fear that she feels whenever a man touches her, expects him to make her feel like she did when Louis tried to touch her...

But the feelings never come. On her knees she just stares at him, surprise momentarily passing on her features before her gaze drops to where his hand still holds hers. When Kazuya touched her the entire crowd went silent, each onlooker shocked by the brazen and what many believe to be suicidal move.

"You've punished him." Kazuya answers her allegation glaring at her. "Now release him before you further stain Kazuha's memory."

For a moment Satellizer just kneels there, feeling his strong hand on her wrist a part of her wonders why his touch is different, another part wondering how it is that he knows about her receiving the heroic stigmata belonging to Kazuha Aoi.

Waiting with baited breath the crowd watches as Satellizer's chest rises and falls once, and then again. To their sheer astonishment the 'Untouchable Queen' hasn't lashed out at the unknown boy as she has every other male that's ever tried to touch her, whether on purpose or by accident.

"Let me go!" She finally screeches at him, flinging her wrist out in a backhand motion in attempt to break Kazuya's grip on her wrist.

Surprised by the sudden movement Kazuya's fingers slip from her sleeve, the younger brother of Kazuha Aoi taking a step back, looking at her with disgust in his eyes.

"I have nothing to do with her, so stop saying that!" Satellizer continues, turning her attention back to the man beneath her. "As for you, I'm going to make sure that you never put your hands on another girl again!"

Raising her hand again Satellizer grits her teeth, ready to continue the righteous punishment when out of nowhere a Freezing field spreads from beneath Kazuya. The field lances out in all directions, looking like a spider web of glowing energy that runs along the ground. Within a moment everyone in the group of students is caught within his Freezing, their breath becoming visible as the ambient temperature drops. Kneeling there with her fist raised Satellizer and everyone else caught in the Freezing field can't move, held in place by the NOVA like ability.

Stepping forward Kazuya slowly shakes his head, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

"I knew that those who inherited her stigmata were ignorant, arrogant and self centered, but _you_ really are worse than I imagined..." Kazuya trails with a shake of his head.

Kneeling there Satellizer cannot move to respond, instead she is forced to watch impotently out of the corner of her eye while Kazuya walks behind her, leaving her field of vision before raising both hands, pantomiming like he's holding a rifle. A moment later a familiar web of energy momentarily appears in his hands before what looks like a large sniper rifle materializes from thin air.

Around him several of the assembled students recognize what they're looking at, each of them feeling disbelief running through them at what they're seeing. Limiters are nearly powerless, the only thing they can do is use Freezing, and even then in order to do that one of them must be implanted with the mature stigmata from a Pandora before they can even do that, and even then, they must first activate an Ereinbar Set. Only the female Pandoras can use Volt Weapons, no Limiter has ever been able to manifest one before in the entire history of Genetics, thus to them it is impossible that the weapon in Kazuya's hands is a Volt Weapon...

The weapon in Kazuya's hands is not just any rifle, but what looks like a Barrett M107 Anti Vehicle Rifle. Normally the weapon is well over 5 feet long and weighs over thirty pounds, but the one in Kazuya's hands is roughly a foot shorter, the barrel of the weapon cut down to allow him to wield it.

Raising the weapon Kazuya holds the rifle by the grip and the barrel, the stock of the rifle pointed down toward Satellizer's blonde haired head. With a grunt Kazuya brings the rifle down, driving the rifle's hard stock into the back of her head with an audible 'crack.'

The stock impacting her head the frozen Satellizer falls on her side, her body moving in response to the blunt rifle stock being driven into her skull. Falling on her side she remains motionless, and Kazuya quickly disintegrates his rifle, the weapon disappearing from his hand before the Freezing field vanishes.

Suddenly able to move several of the assembled onlookers stare at Kazuya in open shock. With the use of his limbs the second year Limiter that accidentally ran into the Untouchable Queen quickly pulls himself from beneath her, looking at the now unconscious blonde third year as he backpedals away from her.

Kneeling down Kazuya slowly reaches out and presses two fingers against her neck, feeling for her pulse and finding it strong and constant.

U_nconscious, but otherwise unharmed..._

Standing Kazuya slowly looks around at the assembled onlookers, the whispers shared amongst them clearly audible to his ears.

"Did you see that? He used Freezing..." One male student whispers to another.

"Was that a Volt Weapon? I thought only Pandoras could use those..." Another male whispers.

"A Volt Weapon _and_ Freezing? How is that possible?" Kazuya hears one of the Pandoras wonder aloud.

_So much for low profile..._

Looking up at a nearby clock Kazuya nearly swears, biting his tongue before he can.

_Five minutes until I'm supposed to meet with Sister Margaret..._

With no time for talk Kazuya begins to move in the direction of the Sister's office, and the gathered crowd quickly parts, none of them brave enough to stop the mystery man and demand answers to their questions.

_I'm going to be late..._

Once clear of the crowd Kazuya takes off into a full on sprint, heading for the Sister's office as fast as he can and putting the scene of the fight behind him as quickly as possible.

**XXX**

Approaching the Sister's office the secretary outside recognizes him, the woman dressed in casual office attire in spite of the fact that this is a school whose purpose is to train children to combat extra dimensional beings.

"Sister Margaret is expecting you, Kazuya Aoi." The woman informs him with a smile.

"Thank you." Kazuya offers curtly with a nod, heading for the wooden door and opening it, revealing the office of the Headmaster of the School to him.

The office is relatively plain, bookshelves lining the walls on the left and right with a darkly stained desk in the rear of the space. A large window dominates the wall behind the desk, Sister Margaret sitting behind the desk dressed in her normal nun's habit. In front of the desk is a single plain chair, the only other furniture in the office not set against a wall.

Sitting behind the desk the sister smiles at him, motioning for him to enter.

"Come in Kazuya, close the door and have a seat." The Sister offers warmly, and Kazuya does as instructed.

"Yes ma'am." He answers curtly, sounding more like a trained soldier then a young man looking to begin his tenure as a student at Genetics West.

Closing the door Kazuya turns, heading for the single chair in front of the desk, the Sister smiling as he sits down.

"Oh my Kazuya, there's no need for such formalities." She politely admonishes him. "You can just call me 'Sister' or 'Margaret' like the other students.

"My apologies ma'am." Kazuya apologizes, his voice rigid.

Sighing Margaret allows the subject to drop. She knows what Kazuya has gone through since his sister died, and she knows that she isn't going to undo years of training with only a few words.

"So, what do you think of the Academy?" Margaret changes the subject, and Kazuya sits ramrod straight, hands on his knees.

"I believe this place will fulfill it's function." Kazuya answers stoically.

Hearing his answer Margaret leans back in her seat.

"Does it's function also include you stopping fights amongst other students?" Margaret knowingly asks, and Kazuya's lips turn down in a slight frown.

_She knows... That's to be expected. Nothing happens at this school without her knowing about it eventually..._

"I apologize for acting out of turn." Kazuya apologizes to the Headmaster of the Academy. "However, Satellizer el Bridgett is one of the few Pandoras who pilfered my onee-chan's stigmata. It is her responsibility to honor my onee-chan's memory and not act like a spoiled child."

"Satellizer is a unique case." Margaret offers carefully, the Headmaster of the Academy believing it is not her place to discuss the private matters of the students under her charge. "However, her actions are her own, and do not reflect upon Kazuha. There are very few who are aware of the source of Satellizer's stigmata. The general student body is completely unaware of the connection."

"_I _am aware of the connection." Kazuya responds icily.

"True." Margaret responds. "However, by interfering in this incident you have inadvertently revealed the extent of your abilities and no doubt will be the center of a lot of attention."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." Kazuya answers realistically.

"How very pragmatic of you." Margaret pauses. "Tell me, what is your purpose for coming here? I have read your file Kazuya and I know exactly what you are capable of. With your abilities you could just as easily join the Active Service under a full commission. Why would you want to spend years of your life here when you could be serving?"

Lowering his gaze Kazuya breaks eye contact with her, the brother of Kazuha Aoi inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly.

"Kazuha would often talk about this place, about her experiences here, and I got the impression that she was genuinely happy while she was here. This is the place where she met her Limiter and felt the most at ease outside of our home. I would like to have those experiences as well before I officially join the military."

"Does that mean you intend to seek out a Pandora?" Margaret asks curiously. "With your current abilities I didn't think that you would desire a partner."

"I am not searching for a Pandora." Kazuya solemnly explains to the Headmaster of the School. _I'm an abomination after all..._ "My sister formed bonds of friendship with the other students here, and I wish to do the same."

"Very well." Margaret acknowledges him. "I have nothing else, so you are free to go Kazuya. Do you need someone to escort you to your homeroom?"

"No." Kazuya answers with a shake of his head. "I can get there on my own."

"Very well." Margaret dismisses him. "Enjoy your stay here, and I do hope you find what you're looking for Kazuya."

"Thank you ma'am." Kazuya says curtly, standing and turning away from the desk, heading for the door.

Opening the door Kazuya Aoi steps out into the hall, heading for his first day of homeroom.

**XXX**

Watching Kazuya leave Sister Margaret sighs, the door closing before she opens a drawer at her desk and reaches inside, withdrawing a manila folder and setting it down on the desk. Opening the folder her eyes drift down to the paper, the paper a file on Kazuya Aoi, a record of everything Kazuya has ever been involved with militarily.

Ever since the Genetics program was first revealed to the public and first NOVAs repelled, the nations of the world began clamoring for protection from the extra dimensional threat. With the success of the program the United Nations formed the United Nations Special Defense Force, or UNSDF, the military branch that all Pandoras and Limiters and the support staff that assist them fall under. However, like all militaries the UNSDF has secrets, chief among them the source of stigmata and the Genetics program.

As the head of Genetics West Sister Margaret is aware of many of the UNSDF's darkest secrets and has one of the highest security clearances. Looking down at Kazuya's file the top third of the first page is redacted, large black bars censoring the information contained within. What is disturbing about the presence of the redaction is the Sister is privy to nearly every secret the UNSDF has...

_What could Kazuya possibly be involved with that they want to keep it a secret, even from _me?

The only information not covered in black ink are the dates running along the left margin, the first date at the very top of the page a full 25 years before Kazuya was born.

_What could that mean? How could he possibly be involved with anything 25 years before he was born?_

Just the sight of that date leaves Sister Margaret wary. Looking further down the page the first non redacted information is the day that he was born. The next line two weeks later explaining that both of his parents Hitomi and Takeya Aoi died in a private plan crash, and as such Kazuya was left in the car of his older sister Kazuha. From that line to the next several years pass before Kazuha died, and Kazuya was conscripted into military service. From there the file is a list of commendations and recommendations from his superiors, be it his boot camp Drill Sargent to the scientists working with him to help him develop his abilities.

Again her eyes drift to the lines of redaction at the top of the file, worry creasing the Sister's brow as she stares at it. Sighing the Sister closes the folder and returns it to the drawer before closing the drawer and locking it. Her eyes rising to the door the sister sighs again tiredly.

_I'll have to keep an eye on him. If something really is going on with him then I have to do what I can to protect him from it. Kazuha sacrificed herself to protect him and every innocent man, woman and child, I can't let them do something to Kazuya too..._

**XXX**

"All right Aoi-kun, please introduce yourself to the rest of the class." Yumi-sensei motions toward her homeroom class, Kazuya standing next to the desk with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture ramrod straight.

_Definitely some military training..._ Yumi thinks to herself quietly, keeping her thoughts to herself.

"My name is Kazuya Aoi, and I'm going to be attending classes here from today on." Kazuya introduces himself stiffly, bowing politely to the rest of the class. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Now then..." Yumi begins, raising a finger to her lips as she looks around her class. "Why don't you take a seat next to our class representative, Kaho Hiiragi." Yumi explains for him. "Raise your hand Kaho."

"Yes..." A red haired girl with brown eyes answers, raising her hand.

Stepping forward Kazuya walks up the steps of the stadium style seating. As he walks past the desks he can hear the students on either side of him whispering.

"Isn't that him, the one from this morning?"

"Is he the one who used Freezing and a Volt Weapon?"

Ignoring their comments Kazuya stops at the open seat next to the red haired woman. Looking up at him the girl smiles becomingly.

"Greetings." Kazuya says stiffly.

Taking his seat Yumi clears her throat, drawing the attention of the entire class.

"I want you all to do your best to help Kazuya make the transition as smoothly as possible." Yumi says to the assembled class.

A bemoaned 'yes' is chorused by the assembled students in response, and Yumi smiles.

"All right then, now to begin class..."


	2. Chapter 2

**OK, since this wasn't immediately panned I figured I would post this second chapter. First things first, this isn't a cannon re-hash, there are several differences here between this and canon, first being that Louis never actually got to sexually abuse Satellizer, he tried, but she put him in the hospital for it. Second, it should be apparent but Kazuya isn't the same happy go lucky guy he is in canon. Finally, several of you have asked what pairing this story is going to be, and honestly, I don't really know. I've got a loose idea where I want this to go, but I literally wrote this on a whim, and if you ask me now why I bothered to post it, I wouldn't be able to tell you, so I honestly don't know with whom Kazuya will end up, I can tell you that they are BOTH emotionally damaged people at this time, and they both are going to face the skeletons in their respective closets, which should hopefully make it an enjoyable read. Enjoy...**

Chapter 2

Opening her eyes Satellizer el Bridget slowly returns to consciousness. Feeling the familiar softness of a bed beneath her the blonde haired buxom beauty slowly sits up, a slight throb in the back of her head making her wince slightly.

"Are you awake Satellizer?" A familiar female voice wafts into her ears; and she blinks in surprise, her vision blurry without her glasses.

"Yuki?" She asks curiously, and she can feel a familiar shape in her hands.

"Here's your glasses Satellizer." Her friend, Yuki Sasaki presses Satellizer's glasses into her hands.

"Thank you." Satellizer offers before putting on her black framed glasses, her vision clearing to see that she's in the nurse's office, and her friend Yuki currently sits next to the bed she's lying in.

_How did I get here? The last thing I remember is that strange boy used Freezing and stopped me from punishing that second year, then the next thing I knew I felt something strike me in the back of the head and then everything went dark..._

"How do you feel Satellizer?" Yuki asks, interrupting her thoughts.

Yuki, like most Japanese women has dark hair and eyes, and is several inches shorter than Satellizer. She keeps her hair hanging just past her shoulders and normally has it tied into twin tails. She has an average build, and dressed in a Genetics girl's uniform she doesn't really stand out from the crowd unlike Satellizer. Yuki is her age, and ranked 474th in a class of over 1000 students, whereas Satellizer is ranked third, behind Elizabeth Mably and Chiffon Fairchild, both of whom she's never been able to beat in single combat, inside or outside of a Carnival.

"What happened?" Satellizer asks curiously, ignoring Yuki's question and looking down to see the blankets pulled up to her waist.

"A first year boy somehow used Freezing to stop you from punishing that second year." Yuki explains for her.

Satellizer slowly shakes her head in denial.

"I know that he used Freezing, but how did he knock me out? Did he put his hands on me again?"

Looking at her an uncomfortable look crosses Yuki's face.

"He didn't touch you, per se..." Yuki answers, and Satellizer tilts her head to the size quizzically.

"Then what did he do?"

"It...looks like he created a Volt Weapon and used a blunt side of it to render you unconscious." Yuki explains to her, and Satellizer stares back at her friend uncomprehending.

"A Volt Weapon?" Satellizer asks aloud. "That's not possible, you know as well as I do that a limiter can only use Freezing!"

"I don't know what else it could've been." Yuki says with a shrug. "He made some sort of rifle appear out of thin air just like when one of us creates their Volt weapon. He hit you on the back of the head and knocked you out, then he turned off his Freezing and ran off."

_Someone who can use Freezing _and_ a Volt Weapon?_ Satellizer thinks to herself. _He could be my Limiter, since he doesn't need to use an Ereinbar Set to use Freezing he would have no need for a baptism or to try and touch me..._

**XXX**

Twenty minutes into his first class Kaho Hiiragi slides a slip of paper across the desk toward him. Glancing down at it Kazuya looks up at her, a slight smile coming to her face a moment before she turns back toward Yumi-sensei. Taking the note from the desk Kazuya opens it, reading the note's simple contents. It says:

'Are you the guy that knocked out Satellizer-sempai this morning?'

_She knows about that? Does the entire school know about that already?_

Glancing over at her Kazuya nods once, folding the paper up again and returning it to his pocket. Seeing his reaction Kaho turns her attention back to her book, the implications of his answer to her question filling her mind and sending her thoughts in multiple different directions at once.

**XXX**

Throughout his first morning at Genetics West Kazuya manages to keep his head down and just attend classes. Fortunately for him Genetics West styles their classes after a Japanese school, meaning the teachers rotate into different classrooms rather than the students getting up and going to different rooms, meaning that Kazuya doesn't have to spend the first ten minutes of each class introducing himself to each of his new classmates and answering the same question over and over again.

When the lunch bell rings Kazuya simply moves with the rest of the class. With the Genetics program being mankind's sole defense against the NOVAs, it's well funded and those in charge spare no expense in taking care of the student body. The cafeteria serves food that is on par with a four star restaurant and serves cuisine from all over the world. They even have a Burger Queen for those who prefer fast food to more traditional cuisine.

Walking into the cafeteria Kazuya immediately notices the line leading to the Burger Queen is longer than anywhere else in the cafeteria. Shaking his head Kazuya slowly walks to the area of the cafeteria that serves Japanese food, going through the process of ordering his lunch.

Lunch tray in hand Kazuya turns away from the counter and looks around the cafeteria, searching for somewhere that he can sit. Unfortunately for Kazuya the cafeteria is busy, and with all the students congregating here to eat there are zero empty tables and as a new student Kazuya knows absolutely no one well enough that he feels confident about approaching them and asking to join them for the duration of the lunch period.

"Kazuya!" Kaho calls out, Kazuya's head turning toward the source of the sound to see the red haired girl standing at a table, waving to him.

Nodding toward her Kazuya approaches her table, stopping at an open seat, looking down to see Kaho sitting at the table with a blonde first year student that Kazuya doesn't recognize.

"Greetings." Kazuya offers stiffly, and Kaho smiles, motioning to the still sitting blonde boy sitting next to her.

"Kazuya Aoi, this is Arthur Crypton." Kaho introduces him to Kazuya as the blonde boy stands. "Arthur is a friend of mine, and a limiter for a second year student named Ganessa Roland."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Arthur offers in greeting, and Kazuya nods his head politely.

"The pleasure is mine, and congratulations." Kazuya offers formally. "I know the relationship between Pandora and Limiter is very special..."

"Yeah..." Kaho mumbles sarcastically, slowly shaking her head. "Ganessa and Arthur are joined at the hip..."

Arthur blushes then, looking at Kaho with embarrassment in his eyes.

"Kaho!" Arthur scolds her, a victorious grin splitting Kaho's lips.

"What? It's true! The two of you are like rabbits sometimes!"

Standing there Kazuya just holds his tray, a blank expression on his face at the back and forth between Kaho and Arthur, the young brother of Kazuha Aoi completely clueless as to what the two of them are talking about.

"Joined at the hip?" Kazuya asks, speaking up, surprising both Kaho and Arthur, the two of them turning their attention to him.

"Don't you know?" Kaho asks curiously, and Kazuya slowly shakes his head.

"I...led a very isolated childhood." Kazuya explains euphemistically. "I'm afraid I'm not aware of very many slang terms and what they imply."

"Oh, well it means Arthur and Ganessa-sempai are lovers." Kaho explains for him.

"Oh..." Kazuya says in understanding. "You're having sex." He finishes bluntly.

Hearing it put so bluntly Arthur just nods.

"Well, yeah." He agrees with discomfort clear in his voice. "I mean, when a Pandora chooses her Limiter it's tradition that the Pandora invites the Limiter to her room, since the Ereinbar set is such a unique experience."

"I know." Kazuya answers. "My onee-chan was a Pandora, and she often talked about her Limiter and how wonderful her relationship with him was."

Fortunately Kaho already told Arthur who Kazuya was and whom his older sister is. What she hasn't told him is the fact that Kazuya is the same boy who knocked out Satellizer el Bridget that morning, the only Limiter here that can use Freezing without an Ereinbar set and can supposedly use a Pandora-like Volt Weapon.

"Well, no need to just stand there Kazuya." Kaho says smoothly, motioning toward the seat across from her and Arthur. "Take a seat and relax."

"Thank you." Kazuya says with a nod, sitting down at the offered seat, both Arthur and Kaho doing the same.

All around them the cafeteria continues to buzz with activity, and for once Kazuya doesn't feel like the center of attention. For years he's been the focus of everyone around him, though that attention has not always been positive. Since coming here Kazuya has felt more of a sense of belonging here than anywhere else he's been. This place and the others like it around the world are gathering points for people like him, each of them unified in the purpose of protecting humanity from an extra dimensional threat.

"So..." Arthur begins slowly. "This is your first day here isn't it?"

"Yes." Kazuya answers truthfully. "I just started attending here today."

"Any girls catch your eye?" Arthur asks suggestively. "Not that anyone can compare to my Ganessa."

Sitting there Kazuya slowly shakes his head, his eyes dropping to the tray of food in front of him.

"I'm sure there are some wonderful Pandoras here." Kazuya says quietly. _All the more reason I should stay away from them..._ "But, to answer your question, no I'm not looking for a partner."

Hearing his answer both Arthur and Kaho look at him curiously.

"You _aren't_ looking for a Pandora?" Arthur asks again. "Why? Are you gay or something?"

Scowling at the rude question Kaho's elbow stabs into Arthur's ribs under the table, the blonde boy's torso jerking to his left from the impact.

"OW!" Arthur turns his attention to the girl sitting next to him. "What did I do!"

"Don't ask questions like that!" Kaho snaps at him. "Don't you know it's rude?"

Sitting there Kazuya just watches the scene play out, taking the moment to think about Arthur's question and why he would ask it. While it is strange for a first year male student at any Genetics Academy to not be searching for a Pandora Kazuya isn't just any regular student. Even if a Limiter were homosexual they would still have to find and take a female partner if they ever truly wish to fight the NOVAs and be of use. A Limiter without a Pandora's mature stigmata implanted in his body is basically an ordinary human, and without an Ereinbar Set it's impossible to use Freezing. The same is true for a homosexual Pandora, she would still have to chose and perform a baptism with a Limiter that is one year younger and use an Ereinbar Set to neutralize a NOVAs Freezing and not have to rely on Pandora Mode and it's draw backs.

_At least, for anyone other than me. That rule doesn't apply to me, because lucky me I'm an abomination..._

Not that he is ever going to say that out loud. The last thing he wants to do is get other people involved in what he believes to be his problem, when ultimately it isn't going to matter. For being what he is it is Kazuya's destiny to die alone in battle against the NOVAs, hopefully with him covering the retreat of several Pandoras from an S-Type NOVA, fighting the extra dimensional monster to the death, hopefully mortally wounding it in the process. He knows that and has long since accepted it, and has no intention of enlightening anyone else to that fact.

"I'm not like the other students here." Kazuya says quietly, his gaze dropping to his tray.

At the sound of his voice both Kaho and Arthur turn their attention toward him.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asks, and Kazuya's gaze remains affixed to his lunch tray, the dark haired boy unable to look up to see the look on Arthur's face when he realizes the truth.

"I can already use Freezing, and I've got other abilities. I don't need an Ereinbar Set to fight and I have no need for a partner."

Arthur blinks once, the pieces of the puzzle coming together in his mind.

"Oh! You're the one people are talking about! The one who used a weird rifle to knock Satellizer el Bridget out in the middle of a Freezing field!" Arthur responds excitedly.

"Yes, that's me." Kazuya says quietly; his tone a stark contrast to Arthur's, the young blonde turning his attention to Kaho.

"Did you know about this?" He continues in that same excited tone, and Kaho nods.

"We sit next to one another in class." Kaho explains calmly.

"I have to introduce you to Ganessa!" Arthur turns his attention back to Kazuya. "She'll want to meet the guy who put Satellizer el Bridget in her place."

_Put her in her place? _

"What are you talking about?" Kazuya asks curiously, the emotion written across his features. "I didn't put Satellizer-sempai in her place, I just stopped her from assaulting another student."

"That isn't what the rumor mill is saying." Arthur says with a shake of his head. "_EVERYONE _is talking about you and what you did! Satellizer is known to some as 'The Man Hating Untouchable Queen' and just 'Untouchable Queen' to others because she never lets a man touch her. The fact that she let you touch her and you didn't wind up in the hospital because of it is unprecedented..."

Arthur just trails, the implication in his words showing his astonishment. For Kazuya there is nothing be astonished about. Kazuya used Freezing to prevent Satellizer from attacking the student she seemed intent on beating the stuffing out of. Fortunately the Freezing effect also prevented her from coming after him when he tried to stop her, and because of that she was left wide open when he went behind her and brained her with the stock of his rifle. It is because of that exact reason that Pandora's use Limiters in the first place. NOVAs naturally generate a Freezing effect and use it to paralyze anything within the area of effect. A Pandora on her own is powerless against that power outside of Pandora Mode, and Pandora Mode only lasts for three minutes, and even then, the stronger the Freezing the harder it is for a Pandora to move through the field, with a Limiter negating the Freezing the Pandora can move normally.

A small commotion coming from one side of the room Kaho looks up, her eyes fixating on something for a moment before Kazuya's classmate opens her mouth.

"Well, speak of the Devil..." Kaho mumbles, and both Kazuya and Arthur follow Kaho's gaze, the two of them looking to spot the crowd of students parting like the biblical Red Sea.

Rather than a man named Moses the sea of students parts for a blonde haired woman named Satellizer el Bridget. Dressed in her normal uniform the blonde third year is accompanied by two other female students, the two of them walking alongside of her on both sides of her, the two of them far too close to simply be acquaintances. One of them is clearly Asian, while the other appears to be African.

Though Satellizer is quite attractive her friends aren't quite in the same category as her. The Asian girl has shoulder length dark hair tied into twin pig tails and black eyes with fair skin. She has a petite frame with relatively small breasts, when compared to Satellizer at least. The African girl on the other hand has a build similar to Satellizer, a coke bottle frame with large breasts and round hips and her long hair is held up on the back of her head with a hair clip. Unlike Satellizer the two of them are dressed in school uniforms.

"That's Satellizer el Bridget and her friends. The Japanese girl is named Yuki Sasaki and the African girl is named Julia Winters." Kaho explains for him.

"Rumor is the three of them are lesbian lovers with Satellizer as the leader." Arthur whispers, keeping his voice pitched as low as possible, lest The Man Hating Untouchable Queen hear him and proceed to beat the snot out of him.

"Lesbians?" Kazuya asks curiously, turning back to the other two first year students.

"Yeah." Arthur confirms with a nod. "Other than Julia they're all unattached, and even then Julia's relationship with her Limiter isn't exactly normal. I've seen him a couple times and he's told multiple people that Julia has yet to invite him to her room, even though they performed the baptism over a month ago. Ganessa says that when she started here Yuki and Satellizer weren't that close, and then Yuki had a bad experience with a potential Limiter and became friends with Satellizer afterward."

"It is peculiar." Kaho adds, like Arthur her voice is pitched low. "Normally when a Pandora takes a Limiter the first thing they do is invite the boy to their room so they can get to know one another. Julia offered to make Anthony her Limiter, performed the baptism and then that was it."

"Maybe she's just taking things slow." Kazuya offers, and Kaho shakes her head slowly.

"Performing the baptism isn't like asking a guy out on a date Kazuya." Kaho explains to him. "It means literally giving a part of yourself to another person. If you're at that point you're more or less emotionally ready to make love. I can't think of any reason why she would perform the baptism and then not take her Limiter as her lover, other than that she just doesn't like men and prefers women."

"Talk about a crap deal though..." Arthur trails. "You have to risk your life with this girl and probably die alongside her and she won't even put out..."

Kaho's gaze rounding on him the class representative for Kazuya's class reaches up and slaps Arthur in the back of his head, her hand impacting his head with an audible SMACK.

"Why don't you raise your voice so Satellizer-sempai can put you in the hospital for saying something like that?" Kaho scolds him.

Turning away Arthur doesn't say anything, and with nothing else to say Kazuya just nods, not sure how to respond to Kaho's convincing argument that Satellizer and her three friends are all lesbians together and intentionally not taking Limiters because they despise men. Watching them out of the corner of his eye Kazuya does his best to avoid their notice as the three of them walk toward the Burger Queen stand. Sitting with Kaho and Arthur Kazuya just watches in amazement as the line twenty people deep at the Burger Queen disappears in front of the three of them.

Approaching the stand the three of them order their meals and are quickly served, the three of them turning away from the stand and searching for a place to sit within the cavernous cafeteria.

"Oh shit..." Kaho mutters, ducking down as Satellizer's gaze drifts toward their table.

Arthur too drops his gaze toward his food, though Kazuya does his best as well to appear to not be looking at them. Unfortunately for him with her glasses on the so called 'Untouchable Queen' for short has excellent vision and she isn't ever going to forget Kazuya's face.

Spotting him Satellizer starts in surprise before she begins to march toward the table. She hadn't been expecting to see him again so soon and with a bag filled with hamburgers held in one hand, her two friends walking with her she approaches the table. As the two of them close on the table both Kaho and Arthur seem to make themselves smaller and smaller, even though their attention is clearly focused on Kazuya.

Stopping next to the table the three of them glare down at Kazuya like owls eying a mouse in the middle of a clearing. With the three of them standing near Kazuya's table the entire cafeteria goes quiet, every pair of eyes in the room turning toward the table and those nearby.

"Uh...I just remembered that I have something to do!" Kaho says loudly, grabbing her tray and standing up, walking away from the table at a quick walk, the red haired girl wanting to get away from the scene as quickly as possible before punches start flying.

"Me too!" Arthur bails on Kazuya, grabbing his tray and following in Kaho's lead.

As much as he might want to Kazuya doesn't blame either of them for getting up and leaving the table. With Satellizer's reputation and the fact that the three of them are all Third Year students each of the three Pandora's have a sizable amount of combat training and wouldn't mind beating up on two First Year students if they happen to get between them and their intended target.

With the two of them gone only Kazuya remains sitting at the table. With the three of them standing there Kazuya continues to eat his food, following his training and ignoring that which does not concern him. Standing there Satellizer and her two friends remain silent only for a few moments before Satellizer loudly clears her throat.

"Ach-hem." Satellizer clears her throat, trying to garner Kazuya's attention.

Taking a portion of rice into his chopsticks Kazuya places the white food into his mouth and chews for a moment before swallowing. Lowering the chopsticks to the table Kazuya nonchalantly turns his head toward Satellizer.

"Can I help you Sempai?" Kazuya asks formally, and Satellizer glares at him from behind her glasses.

"I would like you to become my Limiter." Satellizer states her intentions, surprising every pair of ears within earshot; Kazuya turning his head away from her, picking up the chopsticks again.

"Why?." Kazuya answers nonchalantly, taking another portion of rice onto the sticks. "What reason do you have for wanting me as the Limiter that you're going to go into combat with?"

On either side of her both of Satellizer's friends glare daggers at Kazuya, both of them are well aware of what Kazuya did to her that morning, what they are unaware of is the fact that when Kazuya touched her she didn't feel the disgust she normally feels when a man puts their hands on her. She's told them both that she wants Kazuya as her Limiter because of his ability to already use Freezing and they both offered to support her when the time came for her to tell him so.

"Watch how you speak First Year." Yuki warns him. "Answer her properly rather than demanding answers of her like that."

"This is a matter between her and I." Kazuya answers matter of factly. "What business is it of yours?"

Looking down at him Yuki's face contorts into a scowl.

"Why you..." She trails, her voice a seething growl, balling her hand into a fist, Yuki raising it to use it to strike the First Year boy sitting at the table.

Raising her hand Satellizer stops Yuki from coming to her assistance, the blonde haired woman wanting to handle this situation herself.

"I will handle him Yuki." Satellizer says simply, and the Asian girl nods.

"All right Satellizer." Yuki acquiesces, lowering her hand and opening her fist.

Her blue eyes shifting back to Kazuya Satellizer's face is set in a disinterested mask, nearly devoid of any emotion.

"I want you to be my Limiter." Satellizer restates her intentions, and Kazuya shrugs his shoulders.

"We all want things we don't get, but I guess someone like you wouldn't know much about that." Kazuya responds icily, taking another bite of rice, and Satellizer narrows her eyes toward Kazuha Aoi's brother.

"Are you insinuating that I'm a spoiled child?" Satellizer asks, and Kazuya doesn't bother to look at her.

"I'm insinuating that you are a selfish person who would do anything to further their own position." Kazuya responds matter of factly. "You had my onee-chan's body desecrated and you took six of her stigmata and had them implanted into yourself because you desired her power. Now you want me to agree to be your Limiter, no doubt you want me because I can already use Freezing and you won't have to perform the baptism, like with every other Limiter here."

Standing there Satellizer stares at Kazuya a long moment, the blonde haired woman momentarily trying to figure out the reason Kazuya was able to see through her request so easily.

_It's to be expected. Think about it, if you're in his position he clearly knows a lot more than he's letting on and he no doubt has thought that Pandoras are going to desire him for his abilities..._

"How do you know all of that?" Satellizer demands, not answering Kazuya's implied question. "The Pandoras who received Kazuha Aoi's stigmata were intentionally kept secret to protect our identities!"

"I know because I was raised in the military." Kazuya explains to her. "When I learned that they kept Kazuha's stigmata I wanted to know what happened to them, and they told me."

The entire time Kazuya doesn't even look at Satellizer, the young man just calmly eating his food as he talks with the Third Year third ranked 'Untouchable Queen.'

Standing there Satellizer watches him carefully. Whoever he is, he is the only boy she's ever met that hasn't made her skin crawl just by touching her. Ever since the incident with Louis she's been terrified and disgusted of men, and when one of them tries to touch her the fear she felt when Louis had been about to touch her comes flooding over her and she can't help but lash out in fear. But when Kazuya touched her that morning she hadn't felt that fear, it had been as though Kazuya was just another girl.

"Are you really Kazuha Aoi's little brother?" Satellizer asks seriously, and Kazuya slowly nods.

"Kazuha was my older sister." Kazuya explains to her. "Our parents died right after I was born so I never had a mother or a father, Kazuha was my only family and I watched as she went off to fight NOVAs and die to protect selfish people like _you_." Kazuya nearly spits the last word in the sentence.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Satellizer denies, and Kazuya slowly shakes his head, standing up from his seat at the table.

"Then you deny that you used your family's influence to have six of Kazuha Aoi's stigmata implanted in your body?" Kazuya asks coldly.

"I...I had my reasons!" Satellizer counters, and Kazuya slowly turns his head toward her, his gaze not giving anything away.

"You're a greedy witch who would do anything for your own gain." Kazuya answers matter of factly.

"I am not!" Satellizer responds, a flustered feeling rising inside of her at the single minded opinion Kazuya has about her receiving the Heroic Stigmata.

"Then why did you do it?" Kazuya asks coldly.

Her cheeks flushing Satellizer looks away from him, embarrassment rising inside of her.

_Why is it that I care so much about what he thinks? Every time he says something mean about me I feel this pain in my chest, like a knife in my heart. I want him to understand, I want him to know that I had the Heroic Stigmata implanted in me so I would be strong, so that I would never be in the situation I was in with Louis back then, so that no man would ever be in the position to abuse me again..._

"I..." Satellizer answers, and Julia is the one to step up, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Satellizer had her reasons." Julia defends her friend. "You aren't her Limiter, and you have no right to demand an explanation from her."

His gaze turning to the African girl Kazuya nods once.

"You're right." He agrees with Satellizer's friend. "However, I do have the right to ask her to leave me alone." He continues, turning his attention back toward her. "I don't want anything to do with you, Satellizer el Bridget, so please leave me alone and don't involve yourself with me again."

"I refuse to accept that." Satellizer responds without missing a beat, truly bound and determined to see this special boy bound to her and pave the way for her to become a full fledged Pandora.

"Why?" Kazuya asks again, his voice betraying nothing. "What reason do you have for wanting something like me as your Limiter?"

_Something...? _Satellizer asks herself, one blonde eyebrow quirking up curiously.

All around him the thought is unknowingly parroted by several other people, like Satellizer each of them is curious as to why Kazuya would refer to himself with 'something' rather than 'someone.'

"I want you to be my Limiter because you can already use Freezing." Satellizer doesn't lie. "I have a problem with men and I don't want to have to perform the Baptism or use an Ereinbar Set. Since you are the only one who can use Freezing without an Ereinbar Set you are the only one I want."

Sitting there Satellizer's explanation only confirms what Arthur and Kaho were talking to him about when the three Third Years had entered the cafeteria.

_So it's true, the three of them are lesbians and they only want a Limiter as a tool to help them fight. They don't care about men beyond what they can get from him and only love other women..._

Unbeknownst to Kazuya the reason Satellizer wants him is because of his ability to touch her and not send her into an androphobic panic attack where she uncontrollably lashes out at the man touching her. She isn't attracted to women, and neither are Yuki or Julia, the three of them are just friends that support one another through a common bond, each has faced hardship at the hands of a man in the past.

"You want me only because you desire my power?" Kazuya asks. "You don't care about me beyond my ability to help you in combat?"

Satellizer looks away, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment.

For Kazuya, seeing her blush is a sign that he has hit the proverbial nail on the head, and she is embarrassed to admit out loud that she doesn't find men sexually attractive in an environment where it's practically a requirement.

"Then I suggest that you give up my onee-chan's stigmata, quit being a Pandora, and find another goal in life." Kazuya explains heartlessly. "Maybe you should become a model, or an adult film star, because I will not be your Limiter Satellizer el Bridget." Kazuya denies her once again, turning away from her and her friends and walking away without another word.

With Kazuya walking away from the three Third Year Pandoras, both Yuki and Julia watch him walk away while Satellizer just stands there, the blonde haired Pandora watching him go without making a single move to pursue him. She knew that deep down he wasn't likely to acquiesce to her request, and she knew that he was likely to say no. It had only been with Yuki and Julia's encouragement that she'd worked up the courage to confront him.

"Are you just going to let him go Satellizer?" Yuki asks quietly; the blonde woman nodding once.

"Yes." She answers solemnly. "If he really is Kazuha's brother than I have no right to demand anything from him."

Standing next to her Julia smiles.

"We both know that you didn't have the Heroic Stigmata implanted in you for selfish reasons." Julia assures her.

"Besides..." Yuki picks up, trying to cheer her friend up. "There's still time before we graduate, and just because he doesn't want you now doesn't mean his opinion of you can't change."

"That's right." Julia chimes in. "You just need to show him that you aren't who he thinks you are."

Looking down at the bag of food Satellizer el Bridget isn't so sure about that. With her condition combined with the history she has with the Heroic Stigmata implanted in her body, she doesn't know if she can ever get Kazuya to see past that, to understand just what it means to her to have a man who can touch her and not make her feel overwhelming fear.

"I don't know..." Satellizer whispers quietly, looking down at the bag of hamburgers still in her right hand.

_I just want him to understand..._

"Lets go eat lunch." Yuki suggests casually. "Before the food gets cold."

Nodding Satellizer sighs, her gaze rising once again.

"I suppose..." Satellizer trails, her voice thick with resignation.

**XXX**

Watching the three Third Years walk away Lisa Williams stands amongst the crowd, her left hand in her pocket, quickly typing away on her mobile phone's keypad.

Like Satellizer, Julia and Yuki Lisa is a Third Year student, however unlike two of the three members of the 'Lesbian Trio' (as they're known in some circles) she has found a Limiter and cares about him. Also unlike Satellizer and her friends, Lisa is on the Student Council, and is on good terms with the Vice President of the Student Council, and considers herself to be friends with Elizabeth Mably.

When rumors had reached the Student Council of a Limiter capable of using Freezing without an Ereinbar Set and materializing a Volt Weapon Elizabeth had naturally been intrigued. She'd told each of her subordinates that they were to investigate this matter, and if they were to learn anything, they were to report to her whatever they could find. It is to that end that Lisa types on her phone, composing a message for Elizabeth with a summary of everything she's just witnessed, including the conversation between Kazuya and Satellizer, what they spoke about and why he denied her request to become her Limiter.

_I hope this helps Elizabeth, and that you don't forget this when the time comes..._

**XXX**

Stepping out of the cafeteria Kazuya heads for the front door. The lunch periods in Genetics West are over ninety minutes in length and Kazuya only spent roughly twenty three minutes getting his food and talking to Kaho and Arthur before Satellizer decided to show and ruin the conversation with hopefully his first two friends. Approaching the door outside Kazuya sighs, feeling frustrated and more than a little annoyed that Satellizer would presume to ask him to be his Limiter like he's just a piece of property to be claimed.

_She _would_ think like that. She may resemble Kazuha but the resemblance is only skin deep. She's nothing like onee-chan and even with her Stigmata will never be more than a bad attempt at a copy..._

Pushing the door outside open absentmindedly Kazuya doesn't see the person standing there, and bumps directly into her.

Hitting the person it's like he's walking into a brick wall, her body repelling his as she lets out a small 'oof' of surprise at the sudden impact. Grunting himself Kazuya stumbles backward several steps, an apology on his lips as he looks up at the person he unintentionally ran into.

Looking up Kazuya takes in the sight of a blonde haired blue eyed woman. Looking her up and down Kazuya doesn't recognize her, though she is quite the looker, just like Satellizer el Bridget, though Kazuya would never admit it out loud that he finds someone who intentionally had his sister's stigmata implanted into her body for her own benefit attractive.

Looking her up and down Kazuya notes that she has long legs, fair skin with long silky hair. Like Satellizer she has incredibly large breasts, though unlike Satellizer an aristocratic air hangs about her.

"My apologizes." Kazuya offers cordially. "Please, excuse me."

Turning to walk past her the blonde woman speaks up, causing him to stop mid step.

"Kazuya Aoi?" The blonde woman asks, and Kazuya turns his attention back toward her.

"Yes?" He asks politely, and the woman smiles at him.

"My name is Elizabeth Mably." She introduces herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

_The second ranked Third Year student and Vice President of the student council?_

"Greetings Mably-sempai." Kazuya refers to her politely. "Is there something you want from me?"

"Yes, there is." Elizabeth confirms for him. "I've heard several rumors about you and I wish to confirm them."

Exhaling slowly Kazuya looks away from her.

"Yes, I am the one who knocked Satellizer el Bridget unconscious this morning, I used Freezing to render her immobile and then used the stock of my Volt Weapon to render her unconscious."

"A Volt Weapon?" Elizabeth asks curiously. "And you haven't yet performed a baptism?"

Kazuya slowly shakes his head no.

"I'm not like other Limiters." Kazuya informs her. _I'm an abomination..._

"I wish to see for myself." Elizabeth says matter of factly. "Show me what you're capable of."

Looking back toward her the look in her eyes tells Kazuya she's being completely serious.

"Mably-sempai, it's against school rules for students to fight outside of Carnivals or sanctioned practice." Kazuya needlessly reminds her. "Besides that, my abilities are too dangerous to be used on school property without causing unacceptable collateral damage."

Thinking that his decline will be the end of the discussion Kazuya turns away from her, once again moving to walk around her and away from the building for the sole purpose of putting more distance between him and Satellizer el Bridget. Before he'd met Satellizer Kazuya hadn't liked her, now that he's met her and she had the gall to approach him and demand that he become her Limiter simply for the selfish reason that she doesn't want to perform a baptism and have to form an Ereinbar Set...

_It's just like I told her, I don't want anything to do with her..._

However, rather than dissuade Elizabeth Kazuya's declination only further entices her. Ranged Pandoras are few and far between, and Elizabeth has yet to meet another Pandora that can match her in long range combat. If Kazuya's Volt Weapon really is a large caliber rifle and he's capable of creating ammunition that is infused with Volt Energy...

_Then he and I will be an unstoppable combination. We could slaughter NOVAs together and protect one another. So much of our tactics relies on protecting the Limiter and killing the NOVA, if there is a Limiter that can actually contribute with something else on top of neutralizing Freezing and using it himself then I want him._

_ Fortunately Lisa sent me that message, and with the way Satellizer approached him I know not to try and coax him that way. If he truly is capable of everything the rumors claim he is then I'll have to be careful. If I let on that I want him because of his abilities he'll deny me like he did Satellizer, and then I'll be stuck with Andre while Kazuya takes some other Pandora or doesn't get one at all... _

"So, the problem is that you have nothing that you can shoot at, correct?" Elizabeth asks, and Kazuya nods cautiously.

"More or less." He answers slowly, not sure what exactly Elizabeth is getting at.

"Very well then." Elizabeth agrees, reaching out and taking his hand before she turns around, literally pulling him along as she descends the steps in front of the building, forcing Kazuya to follow her wherever she's going.

"Mably-sempai, where are you taking me?" He asks as she descends the bottom step, Elizabeth never even breaking stride as she leads Kazuya away from the building.

"I'm taking you somewhere where you can demonstrate what you're capable of without worry for collateral damage." She explains to him.

Sighing exasperatedly Kazuya shakes his head in denial.

"I told you already, there's no place on campus where I can safely demonstrate what I'm capable of." Kazuya repeats himself, wanting nothing more than to dissuade the woman currently holding his hand and leading him away from the building, her destination completely unknown to him.

Looking over her left shoulder at him a smile splits Elizabeth's lips.

"Then it's a good thing our ultimate destination is off campus, isn't it?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sighing tiredly Gengo Aoi rubs at his eyelids, trying to clear the last of the sleep from them with little success. Dressed in usual attire of a lab coat, slacks and a long sleeve white shirt anyone looking at the man would never assume that he is on his way to one of the most important meetings of his life, but he has never been one for showy appearances. It is his firm belief that results are what important in life, performing the task given to you regardless of the method utilized.

_The ends justify the means..._

Approaching a pair of double doors Gengo stops, carefully glancing left and right to the armed soldiers carrying assault rifles on each side of the door. Both men are dressed in full combat armor, and possess enough firepower to kill any human target.

_Against a NOVA they would both be fodder, but against any human stupid enough to try to enter this room without an appointment they're more than enough..._

The guard on his right raises his rifle, from his experience Gengo knows the weapon is ready to kill, the man's finger just off the trigger. Pointing his weapon toward Gengo the other soldier steps forward, slinging his rifle on his right shoulder and holding out his left hand.

"ID check." The man barks roughly, and Gengo sighs again, reaching into his shirt pocket and withdrawing the appropriate identification card and handing it to the soldier.

"Here." Gengo offers tiredly, the man taking the card from his outstretched hand, grasping a small hand held computer at his belt and swiping the card through the device, the man's eyes watching the screen while the other guard never takes his eyes off of Gengo.

The screen flashes through the appropriate clearances, and the man raises the back of the device to eye level.

"Retina check." The guard snaps, and Gengo leans forward, looking into the small electronic eye facing him and making sure to put his right eye close to device.

A red beam pans back and forth across Gengo's eye, the device scanning his retina and matching it with the record on file. Should something be amiss Gengo is likely to never know it, the men are ordered to shoot first and not ask questions.

The device beeps again, and Gengo leans back as the soldier lowers the device, holding Gengo's card out for him to take.

"You're cleared." The guard says matter of factly, the other soldier finally lowering his weapon.

"Of course..." Gengo replies tiredly, taking his card from the soldier before the guard returns to his post.

The double doors swing open, and Gengo walks into the room at a clipped pace, the brilliant scientist behind the Genetics program wanting nothing more than to get this meeting over with so he can return to his research.

The door closing behind him the room Gengo enters is dark, a small chamber with no other doors and decorated only with a single table and three chairs. Sitting at each chair in military uniform are three officers, two men and one woman, the three comprising the ultimate authority of the United Nations Special Defense Force, the military branch created to control the Genetics program and to grant the Pandoras and Limiters unilateral authority within any nation they are deployed to.

The three admirals are often colloquially referred to as the 'Puppet Masters,' though no one Gengo knows is brave enough to use the nickname in front of them. The three Admirals are the true decision making power behind the UNSDF, the Chevalier Council that the public watches on TV is nothing more than a joke, a way to appease the different countries of the world that they have a say in how the Pandora program is run. Everything that goes on in that Council chamber, whether televised or not, is scripted, each of the so called representatives reading from a script, every decision made there is done so at the behest of the three Puppet Masters in the room with him.

"Ah, Gengo..." A rich male voice welcomes him pleasantly, a single spot light coming on above him, shining down on him and killing his night vision, preventing his eyes from adjusting to the low light while allowing the three Puppet Masters to see him clearly while they hide in darkness.

"Admirals." Gengo offers with forced politeness in his voice.

"It is good to see you well." A female voice on his right comments. "The fifteen billion dollars a year we spend between your salary and funding your Project hasn't apparently gone to waste."

The implication is impossible to miss.

"I have never..." Gengo begins, some heat coming to his voice when a third voice speaks up, silencing him.

"We are not here to discuss ethical practices." The third, oldest voice cuts Gengo off, stifling his ire. "We are here to discuss financing for your project for the next year."

Nodding Gengo bows his head in apology.

"I apologize, Admiral sir." Gengo offers contritely, like him the three want nothing more than for this meeting to begin and business to be concluded so each of them can continue with their respective schedules.

"Ah, before we begin..." The First interjects. "We thought you might want to know that Kazuya Aoi has just begun attending Genetics West. According to preliminary reports he's made quite the impact."

The look on Gengo's face is chiseled from stone, the man feeling not one ounce of pride or concern for the boy who shares his name.

"And that concerns me why?" Gengo asks coldly, the three Admirals unaffected by his apparent lack of affection.

"We thought you might like to know." The Second, the only woman of the Three, explains. "We didn't expect you to actually care."

"Then may we please get down to business?" Gengo asks, changing the subject. "You have summoned me here to speak about the budget for the Project, and as head of the Project I humbly ask that you increase funding for it by approximately three billion dollars."

"_Three billion_?" The Second asks sarcastically. "What's wrong Gengo, got your eye on a fifth vacation home in Bali that you just can't afford?"

Standing there the man behind the Genetics program sends a heated glare toward the source of the female voice.

"Are you implying that I have been spending funds set aside for my research into the protection of humanity for my own material gain?" Gengo demands hotly, his teeth clenched together in anger.

"What I'm saying is that we have given you over one hundred billion dollars in project funds and personal compensation over the last ten years and you have only given us two weapons with which to fight against the NOVA." The Second responds matter of factly, her voice a calm contrast to Gengo's.

"If you believe you can perform better or achieve better results then I welcome you to try..." Gengo growls, his tone simmering with anger.

"The Second is correct." The Third speaks up, Gengo turning his attention back to the man in the center at the table. "We have compensated you with billions of dollars in funding and personal compensation and you have shown us nothing in over five years, a lack of results for such a heavy investment cannot be tolerated. Yours is not the only option for creating better weapons to defend ourselves against the NOVA threat."

"Yet I am the one who gave you a method to defend yourselves and humanity as a whole against them in the first place. If not for me you would still be wasting millions of human lives and billions of dollars in equipment merely delaying the NOVA so that major cities can be evacuated."

"And for that we have been most grateful." The First counters. "We have shown you ample patience and provided you with everything you have asked of us in order to further your research, however we cannot abide spending an additional three billion dollars annually on a Project that has shown no results in over five years."

"My research isn't easy." Gengo counters, trying to win the three admirals over. "I am very close to a breakthrough! I only need a little more funding to be able to create a method to replicate Kazuya's unique abilities in normal Pandoras _and _Limiters!"

"If you desire any additional funds, then it is the judgment of this council that _you_ cover any additional expense out of your personal compensation." The Third announces their decision.

"You expect me to come up with three billion dollars on my own!" Gengo demands irately.

"Surely you haven't spent all those tens of billions of dollars we've compensated you over the years." The Second comments sarcastically.

"How dare you three do this to me!" Gengo snaps at them in anger. "Are you so blind as to see that _I _ am your only hope of salvation against those monsters?" Gengo demands, clenching his hands into fists, his hands shaking in fury. "I don't have to take this outrage, I could..." Gengo begins, his voice seething.

"Quit?" The Third asks knowingly, finishing Gengo's sentence for him. "Don't be so melodramatic Doctor Aoi." The Third chastises him. "Your empty threats will get you nothing from us."

"They are not empty threats!" Gengo growls, glaring hatefully at all of them, the man unable to find a single target for his ire.

"Then go ahead, resign." The First says dismissively. "Good luck finding a civilian operation that is capable of not only paying your personal compensation but also capable of handing you tens of billions of dollars year after year with nothing to show for it." The First continues. "Not to mention has access to the NOVA tissue samples you'll no doubt need along with all the expensive equipment you no doubt will require."

Gritting his teeth Gengo looks down at the floor with defeat in his eyes.

_They know they have me over a barrel and they aren't even trying to be nice about it..._

The first NOVA tissue samples to be recovered by humanity were deemed top secret by the governments of the world. It was sheer luck that when the NOVAs self destructed they didn't completely annihilate what comprised their bodies and it is from those initial samples that the first Stigmata and ultimately the Genetics Program were created. Countless sacrifices have had to be made to achieve those goals, and ever since it's creation following the first incursion the UNSDF has maintained complete control over any NOVA tissue left in this world. Locating a civilian sponsor capable of supplying Gengo with everything he needs to continue his research would be tantamount to an utter miracle, and Gengo along the the three Puppet Masters are all well aware of this fact.

"We will not increase your funding, Doctor Aoi." The Third continues. "Your total budget remains twelve and a half billion dollars annually. This meeting is adjourned."

With that the meeting was over, and Gengo knows better than to remain in the room with the three. Should he not choose to abide by their decision and leave, the two soldiers outside will storm into the room and drag him out, dead or alive.

"Of course..." Gengo grumbles in supplication. "Thank you for your continued generosity." Gengo grinds the words past his teeth.

_Insignificant fools... This decision will be the end of you, I guarantee it..._

Turning on his heel Gengo marches toward the doors, the double doors swinging open as he approaches, the elderly Doctor never breaking stride as he walks through them, heading for the elevator at the end of the hall that will take him to the surface.

"Mark my words..." Gengo mutters as he reaches for the elevator call button. "You will regret not listening to me..."

**XXX**

"What are you waiting for Kazuya?" Elizabeth asks calmly. "Go ahead, show me what you're capable of."

Looking at her Kazuya sighs, turning his head to his left to look out at the line of three vehicles parked bumper to bumper next to one another one hundred yards away. From left to right Kazuya recognizes a multimillion dollar luxury sedan, then a civilian model of a military armored personnel carrier, and then finally a heavily armored 16 wheel four axle military vehicle that Kazuya wasn't aware of was legal to own by private owners.

When Elizabeth had taken his hand she'd told him she was taking him somewhere to demonstrate his abilities with his Volt Weapon, never did Kazuya imagine that Elizabeth would lead him to the train station that connects Genetics Island with the main land, and that Elizabeth would have him board the train with her and they would take it to the main land where a limousine would be waiting to take him to the palatial multiple acre Mably estate. Once at her home Elizabeth quickly brought him to his current location, a private range where Elizabeth apparently practices with her own Volt Weapon.

"Sempai, I must protest that this is hardly the proper protocol for bringing a fellow student to your home to go target shooting." Kazuya turns his gaze back to Elizabeth. "I just began attending classes and I am sure there is material that I have yet to cover in my morning classes..."

"Whatever information you miss I will happily provide." Elizabeth says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Should you require a study partner to assist you in getting up to speed I will be more than happy to do so."

"Why would you be willing to go so far out of your way for me?" Kazuya demands suspiciously. "You are a third year and Vice President of the Student Council, you have more important responsibilities then confirming the idle talk of the student body."

_When that idle chatter is about a Limiter that could possibly give me an edge over the NOVA and any other pair then it is my business Kazuya..._

"It is because of my position that I am doing this." Elizabeth counters evenly, keeping her face and tone keenly neutral. "It is the job of the Student Council to enforce the rules and preserve order at the Academy. If you truly are capable of doing half the things the rumors about you claim you can then it is in the best interest of the entire student body to have the testimony of someone in a trustworthy position confirming the true extent of your abilities."

"If you are thinking of asking me to become your Limiter after learning what I am capable of, then you should know now that your efforts are going to waste. I have no intention of accepting any Pandora, regardless of whom." Kazuya explains flatly.

Thanks to Lisa's message Elizabeth is already well aware of that fact, so it isn't a surprise to her when Kazuya explains his decision, what she is curious about however, is the reason behind said decision.

"Unlike Satellizer el Bridgett I already have a Limiter Kazuya and do not require one." Elizabeth counters evenly, raising one arm and motioning toward the vehicles down range. "Now, please, show me what you're capable of."

Sighing Kazuya turns away from her, his gaze traveling down toward the three targets lined up next to one another.

"Are you certain there is no one down there?" Kazuya asks, his mind envisioning a scenario where an innocent butler or maid ends up burned alive or with a bullet in their brain because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I _am_ certain Kazuya." Elizabeth assures him, the tall blonde bombshell forcing herself to keep calm, exuding patience she doesn't feel. Getting Kazuya to just accompany her has been akin to pulling teeth, at every turn the young boy has resisted and kept insisting that he should return to the Academy. Part of the blonde woman wants to reach out and shake him like a British nanny and tell him to stop being so stubborn and just do as she says, but Elizabeth has held back the urge, in spite of Kazuya's unintentional attempts to force her to do otherwise.

"Then we're going to need hearing protection." Kazuya acquiesces, Elizabeth holding back a sigh of relief. "My rifle can be quite loud and without some sort of ear plug or muff the sound can damage your hearing."

Nodding Elizabeth walks to a nearby locker, opening the door and swinging it outward. Reaching inside Elizabeth withdraws a pair of protective ear muffs. Around her Kazuya can see at least three firearms stored in the locker, a pair of shotguns and what looks like a double barreled shotgun...

_No...that's a double rifle, probably an elephant gun..._

"My father is an avid sportsman, and had this range built for his own private use when the house was constructed. Here." Elizabeth offers Kazuya a pair of ear muffs.

"Thank you, Sempai." Kazuya says formally, taking the hearing protection from her and placing them over his ears, muffling the outside noise considerably.

"Whenever you're ready." Elizabeth's muted voice barely registers in his ears.

Nodding Kazuya approaches the table, materializing his Volt Weapon and bracing the rifle against his shoulder. Pointing the weapon toward the luxury sedan Kazuya sights down the scope, his hands steady as Kazuya centers his aim on the middle of the civilian vehicle.

"Fire in the hole!" Kazuya calls out a moment before squeezing the trigger.

BOOM!

The sound is like a thunderclap, the rifle pressing against his shoulder Kazuya does his best to keep the rifle steady, the large casing ejecting from it's proper place in the action. Not a second later the luxury sedan one hundred yards down range explodes.

BOOM!

The car explodes in a ball of flame, pieces of shrapnel flying into the air as the ball of fire quickly burns out. Watching it all Elizabeth's face doesn't flicker in response as pieces of metal rain down on the grass and the adjacent cars.

"Keep going Kazuya." Elizabeth bids him continue, Kazuya nodding before he adjusts his aim.

Sighting on the civilian version of a military vehicle Kazuya once again steadies his aim.

"Firing." Kazuya says again.

BOOM!

The sound is nearly identical to his first shot. Like the sedan the large SUV explodes less than a moment later, the round traveling down range at over three thousand feet per second, the bullet covering three hundred feet in a fraction of a second. Watching the SUV explode Elizabeth just nods calmly, not surprised in the least that Kazuya was able to destroy both unarmored targets with ease.

_The true test will be the last, if he can destroy that as easily as the first two..._

"Firing..." Kazuya says tonelessly, shifting his aim to his final target.

BOOM!

The rifle kicks a third time, the round flying downrange and penetrating the armor surrounding the military APC. Unbeknownst to Kazuya his target has been specially armored, the vehicle modified to act as the Mably family's escape option should a NOVA appear and attack Genetics Island. It's additional armor is rated to survive a glancing hit from a NOVA's energy weapon, since no amount of armor can protect a vehicle against a direct hit from a NOVA's attack.

Watching pieces of the APC fall to the ground Elizabeth's lips curl slightly in an approving smile.

"Very good Kazuya." Elizabeth praises him, Kazuya's rifle disappearing from his hands before he lowers his arms.

"Are you satisfied now Mably-sempai?" Kazuya asks formally, Elizabeth reaching up to remove her ear muffs as Kazuya does the same.

"You're quite impressive Kazuya." Elizabeth says with a nod. _Especially since no other Limiter can do anything close to what you're capable of. _"However, there is one last task I would ask of you..."

Standing there Kazuya narrows his eyes suspiciously.

"And what task would that be, Mably-sempai?" Kazuya asks, suspicion coloring his tone.

"You've heard of William Tell?" Elizabeth asks curiously, walking back to the locker and withdrawing a small box of ammunition.

"William Tell?" Kazuya asks curiously.

He's well aware of the story of the man. What he does not understand is what that legend could possibly have to do with what Elizabeth wants him to do.

Dumping the bullets in the box out into the locker Elizabeth closes the metal door before turning back to Kazuya.

"I want you to shoot this box from the top of my head." Elizabeth calmly explains to him, Kazuya's eyes going wide in surprise before he immediately shakes his head no in denial.

"Sempai, there is no reason for that." Kazuya counters. "Doing such a thing is extraordinarily dangerous and I refuse to participate."

"Do you have that little confidence in your abilities?" Elizabeth asks, approaching him with the now empty box of ammunition in hand. "You intend to stand against the NOVA, yet aren't good enough to perform a shot that might save a comrade's life?"

Standing there Kazuya lowers his gaze.

"My Volt Weapon isn't designed for such precise work." Kazuya explains to her. "It's designed for shooting large targets. If I try and shoot that box from your head it's possible that I could severely wound you, or kill you."

Smiling Elizabeth returns the ear muffs to her ears, leaving the shooting area and walking down range.

"So, that just means you don't miss."

With that Elizabeth continues walking away, wearing the ear muffs she will be unable to hear anything he says after walking a few feet away, and as she walks three quarters of the way down range Kazuya watches her every step of the way.

_Why is she doing this? It's like she's testing me, but why would she? She already has a Limiter and I've made it clear that I'm not going to be paired up with any Pandora. Does she believe that I'm such a worthless creature that I shouldn't even be used against the NOVA?_

Stopping Elizabeth turns to face him, placing the box on top of her head and calling out to him.

"Whenever you're ready Kazuya!" She calls out loudly, and he clenches his hands into fists.

_Damn it all..._

Raising his arms Kazuya activates his Volt texture again, his rifle appearing in his hands the young Aoi approaches the table before lowering the built in bi-pod on his rifle, bracing the weapon against the table to insure greater accuracy before sighting down the scope.

With a life on the line Kazuya's approach to this shot is completely different than when he shot at the vehicles. Breathing slowly Kazuya quickly removes the magazine from his rifle, pulling the charging handle to clear the HEAN (High Explosive Anti-Nova) round from the chamber. Should Kazuya fire the round at the box it would explode on impact with the cardboard box, the bullet acting as a miniature bomb and in a Volt energy powered explosion, doubtlessly taking Elizabeth's head with it.

The magazine clattering to the table it disappears. Lowering his left hand from the weapon Kazuya materializes a second magazine, this one loaded with 'normal' rounds that aren't much more than the standard ammunition shot from the rifle by any number of soldiers during target practice. The only difference between Kazuya's rounds and those fired by an average soldier are the propellent, all of Kazuya's ammunition is powered by Volt energy instead of gunpowder.

Slotting the magazine in the receiver Kazuya pulls the charging handle, the sound of the bolt retracting and then slamming forward familiar to his ears as a round is loaded into the chamber. With the rifle loaded Kazuya steadies his grip, slowing his breathing as he begins to make minute adjustments to his aim. Raising his center of aim Kazuya carefully adjusts for the difference in elevation between the barrel and his scope.

_Not too much, it's only a few inches..._

The reason Kazuya must do this is simple. His equipment is set so that his scope shows him where his bullet will hit one hundred yards from the muzzle. Elizabeth currently stands inside that range, so if Kazuya were to aim at the box his bullet would hit low, and in this situation such an outcome would result in Elizabeth's untimely demise...

_Careful...better to aim high and miss high then to aim low and blow her brains into a million little pieces..._

Controlling his breathing to steady his aim Kazuya carefully places his finger on the trigger, tightening his grip on the rifle Kazuya can feel his heart beating inside his chest, each beat seemingly slow and deliberate.

THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP...

Waiting for the moment between beats Kazuya squeezes the trigger.

BOOM!

Through the scope Kazuya watches as the empty cardboard box jumps from atop Elizabeth's head. Standing down range Elizabeth starts in surprise as she turns around, seeing pieces of cardboard litter the ground behind and around her.

Exhaling a sigh of relief Kazuya's rifle disappears, the Aoi incredibly relieved that he didn't just kill the Vice President of the Student Council of Genetics West.

Turning back toward him Elizabeth quickly walks back toward him, Kazuya reaching up and removing the ear muffs from his ears as Elizabeth does the same.

"Quite impressive Kazuya." She praises him once she's within earshot. "I knew you could do it."

_I could feel the bullet as it passed over my head..._

"Are you satisfied now, Mably-sempai?" Kazuya asks, setting the muffs down on the table in front of him. "If so, I would like to return to the academy."

Standing there Elizabeth allows a slight frown to cross her features.

"Is my company so repulsive that you would rather spend your time in class than alone with me Kazuya?" Elizabeth asks evenly, and Kazuya blinks in surprise.

"It isn't that." He counters, his eyes dropping to the table. "I'm attending this school so that I can form the same bonds of friendship and camaraderie that my sister did. If I'm not there, then I can't really do that..."

Walking around the table Elizabeth stops near him, careful to remain outside arms reach and keeping her tone of voice carefully even.

"One could argue that spending time with me could be doing just that." Elizabeth counters. "You said you wish to form bonds with the other Pandoras and Limiters, I happen to know quite a few who would be happy to get to know you, and I would be more than willing to throw you a party to help you get acclimated..."

"Thank you Mably-sempai, but no thank you." Kazuya declines her offer. "I appreciate your attempt to assist me, but I would rather make friends on my own, rather than have another person doing it for me."

_I'll have to remember that..._

As if on cue, a low growl resonates from Kazuya's stomach, the aberrant Aoi's cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Seeing an opportunity Elizabeth smiles, opening her mouth to speak before Kazuya can apologize.

"If I remember correctly I interrupted your lunch period in order to bring you here." Elizabeth begins, half turning toward the house, motioning with her left arm for Kazuya to enter the mansion. "Why not allow me to treat you to a meal as compensation? My father employs a four star chef to cook our meals and his cooking is quite exquisite. Once you've had your fill I will happily escort you back to the Academy should you wish it."

Standing there Kazuya eyes the Vice President of the Student Council for a long moment, the Aoi male searching for some ulterior motive to her suggestion.

_She could just want to keep me here...but there's no way that she'll try and kidnap me. She'd never get away with it. She said she would take me back once I'm done eating, so why not?_

"Thank you Mably-sempai." Kazuya says with a smile. "And I humbly accept your gracious offer."

Hearing that a slight smile comes to Elizabeth's features.

"Splendid! Right this way Kazuya..."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When the first Pandoras and Limiters defeated their first NOVA it had been a victory that was celebrated by the entirety of humanity. The surviving Pandoras and Limiters were considered heroes for all of humanity and the entire world praised them. When the UNSDF announced to the world that children would be selected by their genetic disposition the people of the world had been enthusiastic.

As the years went by and more and move NOVAs came to our world and were repulsed the casualty rate amongst the Pandoras and Limiters became well known, and soon things began to change. In lower and middle class families it is a great honor for their child to be selected. Most world governments grant large stipends and offer other incentives to make the thought of their child dying in battle with the NOVA easier to swallow, though the upper class no longer saw joining the Genetics Program as an honor, for the children of the rich and privileged watching their children go off to join the Genetics Program and fight NOVA is tantamount to putting a gun to their head and pulling the trigger. As the years went by more and more upper class families began to keep their children from joining the Genetics Program, although they're unable to prevent their child from being tested. The most common route to preventing a candidate from becoming a Pandora or Limiter is to have the DNA test results corrupted or the test done improperly, usually by bribing the doctor performing the test.

With the test improperly performed or the results tampered with the child will no longer be considered a candidate for the Genetics Program and get away without fear of having to fight against the NOVA.

However, some upper class families still choose to send their children to the Genetics Program if their child is a candidate...

The Mably family is one of those rare few families, the el Bridget family being another.

"Sempai, why are you doing this?" Kazuya asks, sitting in the sitting room at Elizabeth's home. "You can't possibly do this with every new student, and wouldn't your Limiter be jealous that you're having another man visit your home?"

For a 'modest lunch' Elizabeth had brought him inside and served him a four course meal, feeding him all sorts of English cuisine that he'd never had before. For the most part Kazuya has grown up living the life of a soldier, his meals normally consisting of prefabricated meals cooked in a microwave or an MRE, or meal ready to eat, food that has been freeze dried and dehydrated.

Needless to say he'd been surprised. The food had been delicious and she'd been happy to eat with him. Once they'd finished eating she'd suggested they retire to the sitting room next to the dining room, telling him that monorail traffic was crowded until the evening.

She'd then told him she was going to change clothes since she was home for the evening, disappearing for a few minutes while a butler showed Kazuya to the sitting room to wait. Being left alone he couldn't help but wonder where Elizabeth's limiter was. From what he can remember of Kazuha she always talked about her Limiter fondly, and if she wasn't with Kazuya she was off with him. Kazuya had met him, and he'd seemed like a good person, he'd been nice and treated Kazuya like a little brother, like Kazuha had. He didn't miss the fact that he and Kazuha slept in the same room, and Kazuha had asked him to sleep in his own bed.

_So why isn't he at least here? Classes should be over by now, shouldn't he at least come over and visit her?_

As if on cue the door to the hall opened then, and Elizabeth stepped inside, no longer dressed in a school uniform. She'd changed into a blue tank top that matches the color of her eyes and a pair of short shorts. The tank top gives him a generous view of her cleavage and the shorts are practically sprayed on. When he'd averted his eyes he'd noticed that she was wearing three inch high heels. The question coming to his mind being why would she wear high heels at home? Wouldn't it be more comfortable to wear loafers or tennis shoes instead? Unfortunately he didn't think about it for very long because Elizabeth took a seat right next to him, and he could smell the sweet smell of perfume on her. Yet another inconsistency...

"What does Andre have to be jealous about?" Elizabeth asks pointedly, bringing him back to the present. "You've made it clear to me that you aren't interested in anything more than friendship, unless...you've decided to reconsider?"

"I haven't." Kazuya confirms, turning away from her.

The two of them sit around a coffee table. The table is surrounded by a pair of love seats and several chairs. Kazuya had taken a seat at one of the two person sofas and Elizabeth had taken the seat _right_ next to him.

"Then what does he have to worry about?" Elizabeth asks again. "You're a special person Kazuya, and because of that you are going to attract special attention."

"I never asked to be special." Kazuya counters. "I just want to do my part and protect people who can't protect themselves."

"You do realize that there is no other Limiter like you? Much of a Pandora's advanced training involves working as a pair in combat, and many Limiters are only useful for neutralizing an opponent's Freezing, those that are especially talented can create their own Freezing. You can not only create your own Freezing but you can even use your own Volt Weapon and don't require an Ereinbar Set."

"And it's because of that that I don't want to take a partner. I can already fight."

"I admit that you're powerful Kazuya, but you aren't impervious. Having someone with you to watch your back and protect you while you protect her in turn could greatly increase how long you're going to survive."

"I'm _not_ looking for a partner." Kazuya counters quietly, making sure to accent the 'not' in the statement, the Aoi male not addressing the fact that his survival is a tertiary concern.

Sighing Elizabeth slowly shakes her head in frustration.

"I am well aware of that fact Kazuya." Elizabeth mutters. "There is no need to repeat it."

The question on her mind in why, but the Vice President of the Student Council doesn't ask that question. It's blatantly obvious that Kazuya has a reason for doing what he's doing and actively turning away a partner. Whatever that reason is she is sure it will come out in time and she is sure she will be able to convince him to accept her. After all, she is the second ranked Third Year Pandora in Genetics West, she's smart, strong, and beautiful. Before she'd selected Andre she'd had potential Limiters throwing themselves at her left and right to the point she'd been practically beating them away with a stick.

"You still haven't answered my question." Kazuya insists. "It doesn't make sense that you would go out of your way for me while there are other students who are just as deserving."

"Special people deserve special treatment Kazuya." Elizabeth counters. "You are undeniably special, and as far as other limiters being more deserving than you, I strongly disagree. You are the only Limiter in existence that can use a Volt Weapon and perform Freezing without an Ereinbar Set."

"Just because I'm a freak doesn't entitle me to any special treatment." Kazuya argues.

"Freak?" Elizabeth asks, eying him critically.

"Yes, a freak." Kazuya counters. "Being a Limiter that can use a Volt Weapon and Freezing without an Ereinbar Set means that I'm a mutation, a freak of nature. Unlike you and your Limiter Andre there is no one else like me in the world."

"And yet you've told me you came to this school seeking to make the bonds of comradeship that your sister did during her tenure here." Elizabeth keeps her voice even. "Why would you do that if you truly believe yourself to be a 'freak' and a mutation?"

Faced with that logic Kazuya turns away, gritting his teeth in annoyance. Elizabeth for her part keeps her face carefully relaxed and carefree, though she watches him carefully. A child couldn't miss the fact that Kazuya is hiding something from the world, and whatever it is Elizabeth intends to find out.

"I..." Kazuya trails, his voice pitched low Elizabeth can see the conflict in his body language and in his eyes. He has a reason, that much she is sure, but he isn't yet ready to reveal it.

_I'll just change the subject, and his opinion of me will improve. Eventually he'll tell me when he accepts me as his Pandora, or I'll find out during the course of our time together..._

"Either way..." Elizabeth begins casually. "I don't believe that you're a freak, your abilities make you desirable to other Pandoras, and while the Third Years like myself are mostly already in relationships the Second Years aren't, and it's very likely they will seek you out to try and form a pair with you." Elizabeth continues casually. "In fact, even some of the other third years might wish to release their current Limiters in favor of you, if you showed serious interest in them."

"I'm not worthy of a partner." Kazuya counters stubbornly. "I didn't come to this school to form a Pandora-harem or even find a partner. I just want to do my part to serve and defend against the NOVAs."

"And what if having a partner helped you to fulfill that duty?" Elizabeth offers, quick to continue before Kazuya can speak. "As I said before, I am not looking for a Limiter, I just believe that you should be aware of the argument that your potential Pandora could use to try and change your mind."

"I've already been offered a position as a Chevalier." Kazuya explains to her. "If it comes to it I will just accept that offer and begin my service."

Hearing _that_ Elizabeth pauses a moment. The only Pandoras at the school in that position are the Fourth year students who have had enough advanced training and experience that they are basically reserve units. She's met a few in passing and while they are all very serious they are all people as well. They smile and laugh and enjoy what they can in life. They are also incredible fighters. For Kazuya to have been offered a position as one of them...

_Just what are you hiding, Kazuya Aoi?_

"Wouldn't that be running away from the problem, rather than facing it, Kazuya?" Elizabeth asks casually.

"It probably is." Kazuya assents, surprising her slightly, the Aoi male sighing before he sits back against the love seat, looking up at the ceiling and the ornate chandelier hanging there. "I have my reasons for doing what I do Sempai. I only ask that you respect them, you don't have to understand."

"If you wanted to explain why you're so against taking a partner I would be more than happy to listen Kazuya." Elizabeth offers. "If you want to talk about it."

"I don't." Kazuya says with a shake of his head.

"Then we don't have to talk about it." Elizabeth assures him. "Tell me, how are you settling in at the Academy, other than the incident with Satellizer, obviously."

"It's a good school." Kazuya says with a slight smile, the Aoi male glad for the change in subject. "The other first years all seem nice, and hopefully I'll be able to make some friends."

"If you'd like I would be happy to throw a party in your honor." Elizabeth offers. "I've got lots of friends and I'm sure they would love to get to know you."

Kazuya slowly shakes his head no in response to the offer.

"Thank you for the offer Sempai, but I can't accept. I want to make friends on my own, like my onee-chan did when she was here."

"I assume you're talking about Kazuha Aoi?" Elizabeth asks knowingly, and Kazuya slowly nods. "I've heard a lot about her. She was the one to develop high end skills and was considered a genius Pandora."

"She was a special person." Kazuya says quietly, his lips turning up in just the slightest, wistful smile. "I miss her, she was my only family before she died..."

"You didn't have any aunts or uncles, or grandparents who could've taken you in?" Elizabeth asks carefully, and Kazuya slowly shakes his head no.

"All my aunts and uncles live abroad, and none of them had the money for me to come to them. It was just after an incursion so everything was a mess, and when there was no one who would take care of me I became a ward of the Japanese Government. After that the UNSDF quickly took custody of me and I've been there ever since."

"I see..." Elizabeth trails, saying no more than that.

The thought to offer to let him stay with her comes to mind, but the blonde beauty doesn't make the offer. In time she will offer to let him live with her, but that will only be after he has gotten over whatever issue he has with accepting a partner and asked to become her Limiter. Until then, she's content to merely be his friend.

_ At least, as far as he is concerned..._

Sitting there Kazuya half expects Elizabeth to offer to let him stay with her out of pity, and when the British woman doesn't say anymore Kazuya exhales in relief, glad that Elizabeth isn't trying to take care of him like a lost puppy...

"Do you have any hobbies Kazuya?" Elizabeth asks casually. "Personally I love to play tennis, and if you don't know I can teach you how to play."

"I've never played tennis before." Kazuya offers with a shrug. "As for what I do in my spare time, I write. Being raised in the situation I was in I didn't exactly have access to the outside world, so I kept a notebook that I wrote in."

"And what did you write?" Elizabeth asks, wanting to get him to open up to her.

"Nothing much..." Kazuya answers her, turning his head away from her. "They gave me a TV, so I knew what the ocean and cities and grassy meadows looked like, but I could only imagine actually being there. To get the thoughts out of my head I wrote them down in that book, what it must be like to stand on a beach with the waves lapping at your feet, your bare toes in the sand, or how it feels to lay in meadow with a gentle breeze blowing, carrying the smell of spring flowers..."

Realizing that he's rambling Kazuya stops talking, discomfort rising inside of him at the thought that he'd been blabbering about unimportant nonsense.

For her part Elizabeth just stares at him uncomprehending for a moment. His words had been almost poetic, and as he spoke he'd gotten a far off look in his eye, as though he could really imagine himself standing on a beach, yet never having experienced it firsthand. For her it's hard to reconcile that, with the same person who not five minutes prior was calling himself a freak of nature...

_There's much more to him than meets the eye..._

"If you don't mind Kazuya, may I read what you've wrote sometime?" Elizabeth asks carefully. "It doesn't have to be right now, and if you're uncomfortable letting me read it then that's fine."

The Aoi male is silent for a long moment, his gaze contemplative.

"...Maybe later..." He answers quietly, Elizabeth nodding before she places a careful hand on his knee.

His eyes immediately dart to the area of physical contact, his entire body going stiff in surprise.

"I appreciate that Kazuya." Elizabeth offers quietly before pulling her hand away, the Aoi male sighing in relief in response.

"Shall we go?" Elizabeth asks, pushing off the love seat and standing before offering her hand to him. "The monorail traffic should've thinned out by now, and you said you wanted to return to the Academy."

Nodding Kazuya ignores her offered assistance, getting to his feet on his own.

"Thank you Sempai, I appreciate it." Kazuya offers, and Elizabeth inwardly sighs.

_Slow and Steady wins the race..._

**XXX**

The ride back from Elizabeth's home to the monorail station goes in relative calm. For Kazuya it's still strange to be riding in a limousine. Getting on the train the car is thankfully sparsely populated and the ride back is peaceful. Elizabeth even goes so far as to accompany him to the Limiter dormitory, though she'd agreed to go her own way at the front door and not follow him to his room.

Walking into the male dormitory Kazuya lowers his gaze, the Aoi male can clearly hear people whispering amongst themselves as he walks by. Somehow every resident of the dorm is aware of his altercation with Satellizer earlier in the day and his leaving campus with Elizabeth...

"I heard he's the one who has the Man Hater and the Reigning Queen interested in him." One first year whispers to another.

"Isn't he the guy who can use Freezing and Volt Weapon at the same time?"

Biting his tongue the Aoi male focuses on putting one foot in front of the other, not knowing what else to do as he turns the corner to head toward his room. Looking down the hall the Aoi Limiter stops in his tracks, a frustrated sigh passing his lips before he can even think about it.

A familiar dark skinned girl stands near his door, dressed in a girl's uniform Kazuya recognizes her as one of Satellizer's friends from earlier that day. Racking his memory Kazuya quickly comes up with a name to match to the face.

_Julia Winters..._

Approaching the dark skinned girl Kazuya looks her up and down, taking in the sight of her leaning against the wall next to his door, her arms crossed beneath her ample bosom with her eyes closed and her head down. If Kazuya didn't know better he would swear the girl is sleeping, but as he approaches the door her eyes open and she slowly raises her head, leaning forward and standing up straight, dropping her arms as Kazuya comes to a stop in front of her.

"Can I help you?" Kazuya asks with forced politeness in his voice, the last thing the Aoi man wants to do is deal with one of Satellizer's annoying friends...

"You're Kazuya Aoi." The dark skinned girl says, eying him up and down.

"Yes, I am." Kazuya answers brusquely.

"We need to talk about Satellizer and what you did this morning."

A slight frown creases Kazuya's lips.

"What about it?" Kazuya asks, anger tinting his tone.

"What you did what heartless and cruel. She deserves an apology for what you did."

"Apologize? To _her_?" Kazuya asks irately. "Why would I apologize to her after what she did? She intentionally had my onee-chan's stigmata implanted in her body because she wanted onee-chan's power."

Standing there Julia's dark eyes meet his, her gaze never once flickering as Kazuya's hard eyes stare straight at hers.

"Did you ask yourself that there might be a reason that she did that, or are you _that_ much of a pig headed asshole?"

"Why would it matter what her reason was?" Kazuya asks, unconvinced. "They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and some of the worst atrocities in history have been committed with good intentions."

"She's androphobic." Julia explains, and Kazuya blinks in surprise.

"You mean she's afraid of men?" Kazuya asks, and Julia slowly nods.

"She didn't want me to come talk to you, but you're the first guy she's met ever that hasn't made her feel terrified. Normally when a man gets close to her she becomes so afraid that they're going to hurt her that she lashes out, violently."

"Why is she like that? Was she born that way?"

Julia slowly shakes her head no.

"Satellizer doesn't want to talk about it, but from what I've been able to piece together from listening to her it sounds like someone did something very bad to her when she was younger, something that scarred her terribly."

"So I'm the first guy that doesn't make her want to violently bash male brains in?" Kazuya asks sarcastically and Julia shakes her head slowly.

"I can't say after what you did to her at lunch, but when you knocked her out this morning and touched her she didn't feel the disgust she feels when another man touches her."

"So what does that mean to me? I have to be nice to her just because she doesn't want to rip my head off just for being close to her?"

"She needs help." Julia counters, looking away from him. "You can help her, if you try. You said you don't want her to be your Pandora, if you can help her to overcome her fear then she can possibly build a relationship with another guy and be happy."

"So that's it? You want me to help her even though I have no reason to help her?" Kazuya asks, and Julia looks him square in the eyes.

"Would your onee-chan hesitate to help someone in need?"

Narrowing his eyes dangerously Kazuya glares at the dark skinned woman murderously.

_How dare she talk about onee-chan..._

For a _long_ moment Kazuya considers throttling the older girl, but the thought passes without Kazuya acting upon it. A moment later the Aoi male turns away from her, Kazuya reflecting on what the older Pandora has said.

_Much as I hate to admit it she has a point. Kazuha would want to help Satellizer if she could, and if I can get that woman interested in another man she'll stop pursuing me. If I'm really the only guy that doesn't terrify her then if I want her to leave me alone I have to do everything I can to get her to move on to someone else..._

"I suppose you're right..." Kazuya answers, and Julia sighs in relief.

"Thank you." She says with relief filling her voice. "But please, don't tell her that I came here to talk to you."

"Why? Wouldn't she be happy that I'm going to try and help her...?"

"Actually..."

**XXX**

**Flashback**

After the fiasco at lunch Satellizer had gone through the remainder of her classes on auto pilot. The normally withdrawn girl seemingly pulling back even farther into her shell, answering even her friends with simple, one word answers or non-committal grunts to their questions and not speaking unless spoken to. With her reputation people continue to avoid her like she's got a disease. Once classes had finished she'd gone back to her room, and both Yuki and Julia had followed her there.

Standing in her bedroom Satellizer sits on her bed with one of her many pillows held to her chest, both Julia and Yuki standing in the room with her silently.

Sharing a look both third year students want to help their friend. When both Yuki ad Julia had been going through bad times Satellizer had approached them and offered to help them. What drew Satellizer to them is the fact that each of them has had a bad experience with men, Yuki had been duped by a potential Limiter that she'd liked and gave her first time to, only to have him perform the baptism with another Pandora the next day. Julia had been in a similar situation. She'd fallen for an older Limiter who was a year older, and during her second year she'd actually approached him and told him how she felt, knowing that she would be rejected. Rather than just turn her down he'd been sadistic about it, telling her that she was disgusting and there was no way that any man would ever find her attractive. She'd been heartbroken, he'd taken her feelings and stepped all over them and she'd felt devastated...

Turning away from Yuki Julia slowly approaches the bed, sitting down on the edge of the bed, speaking carefully.

"Don't let that jerk get to you Satellizer..." Julia begins consolingly. "There's no reason for you to feel so broken up about what happened. He _was_ special, but there's no reason for you to let him get to you..."

Holding the pillow to her chest Satellizer slowly shakes her head in denial, sniffling before she speaks.

"He was different..." She whispers, and Julia nods slowly, placing a comforting hand on her friend's back.

"He was, he is a Limiter that can use a Volt Weapon and Freezing, but that doesn't mean he's supposed to be your Limiter. Just because he doesn't need an Ereinbar set doesn't mean he was destined for you."

"That's right." Yuki chimes in, stepping forward. "Besides, it isn't as though you need a Limiter to graduate. You're the third highest ranked Pandora in the class. You can kick ass with the best of them, so there's no need to let one little asshole get you down."

"Neither of you can understand..." Satellizer whispers. "When he touched me...I didn't hate it..."

"You didn't?" Julia and Yuki ask in unison, both of Satellizer's friends well aware that their friend is androphobic, but neither of them are aware of the reason why.

Again Satellizer slowly shakes her head no.

"I didn't hate it when he touched me..." Satellizer whispers. "When I was standing near him earlier I didn't feel anxious or afraid. Then when he'd said that he didn't want me because I only desired him for his power it occurred to me that it _was_ wrong of me to ask him to be my Limiter just because of what he can do..."

"Then tell him so." Yuki says matter of factly. "Go to him, tell him that he's special because of the way he makes you feel, and maybe he'll at least agree to be friends."

"...No..." Satellizer answers quietly, hugging her pillow close to her chest.

Sighing in disgust Yuki reaches up to rub at her temples with her left hand, the Asian Pandora feeling a headache coming on at her friend's obstinacy.

"If you won't go talk to him then you have no right to sit here and mope." Yuki says harshly. "If you've accepted that you're just meant to be alone then act like it, if you haven't, and you _actually want_ to have a Limiter and a normal relationship then you need to do something about it."

Spinning her head toward Yuki a scowl rests on Julia's features, but the Japanese Pandora doesn't flinch at the sight of her friend's disgust. Meeting her gaze Yuki's eyes are unrepentant and unafraid, the message in the Japanese girl's gaze as clear as day...

_She thinks Satellizer needs this, needs someone to metaphorically kick her to get her to act..._

Looking back toward Satellizer the blonde Pandora just sits there, hugging her pillow to her chest, staring down at her bed with her blue eyes empty and unseeing.

"We'll meet up at the usual place to walk to class together tomorrow morning, OK Satellizer?" Julia asks with a tone of forced brightness to her voice, the dark skinned Pandora trying to inject some normalcy into what has been an otherwise strange and very eventful day.

"OK..." Satellizer answers blandly, her voice lacking any warmth or eagerness.

Sighing Julia turns away, motioning for Yuki to leave the room ahead of her.

Turning for the door the Japanese girl does as asked, the two of them leaving Satellizer's room with Julia closing the door behind her. Once the door is closed and Satellizer left alone Julia immediately reaches out and punches the shorter Asian girl in the right shoulder, hitting her hard enough to cause pain and discomfort, but not hard enough to cause any sort of injury.

"Ow!" Yuki snaps in protest, turning to face her friend and stepping away from the other girl.

Unconsciously Yuki's left hand rises to rub at the spot where Julia punched her, the taller Pandora's features set in an angry scowl.

"You _know_ how she gets around guys, how hard it has been for her to watch us both put ourselves out there again and for me to accept Anthony!"

"All the more reason she should pursue that dickhead then." Yuki answers with a shrug.

Frowning Julia slowly shakes her head in disgust.

"How can you call yourself her friend?" Julia asks sarcastically, and Yuki's reply is brimming with heat.

"When Michael performed the baptism the day after we were together I was crushed. When he told me he'd used me I wanted to rip his penis off and make him eat it. Satellizer saw that and talked to me, she saw how angry and hurt I was and talked to me, helped me to vent my anger and get past it. However, none of that would've mattered if _I_ didn't want to get over how I felt. If I didn't want to put that horrible experience behind me and try again it wouldn't have mattered what she did to try and help. Right now she doesn't want to try and make things better, she wants to be mopey and sad and be pitied, and quite frankly, I'm not going to stand there and offer sympathy when it's over a stupid misunderstanding! If Satellizer wants to fix things with that dickhead, then she needs to march over to the boy's dorm, find him and talk to him until he listens."

Listening to her friend's tirade Julia closes her eyes, exhaling tiredly before rubbing at her closed eyes a moment, lowering her hand and opening her eyes before she speaks.

"But would it hurt to offer a _little _sympathy?" Julia asks, and Yuki crosses her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"When she's realized how moronic it is to just sit there and mope, I'll offer my condolences, until then she needs someone to kick her in the ass to get her motivated."

Sighing again Julia closes her hands into fists, her gaze meeting Yuki's evenly.

"I'm going to go talk to this Kazuya, maybe he'll see reason..."

"Good luck..." Yuki says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I think you'd be better served by talking to a wall, but don't let that stop you..."

**XXX**

**Present**

"So...that's the story." Julia finishes her explanation, Kazuya eying her critically.

"That's it?" Kazuya asks dubiously. "She wants me because my touch doesn't disgust her, but she isn't going to pursue me?"

"More or less." Julia says with a weary nod, continuing before Kazuya can respond. "Look, I don't care whether or not you become her Limiter, that's between you and Satellizer, all I care about is that you at least try to help her. If you can help her and she develops a normal relationship with a Limiter, then that's great. If you can't help her and she can't get over her androphobia, then that's fine too."

"...I'll try, but I make no promises..." Kazuya answers, and Julia's shoulders slouch in relief.

"Thank you..." She whispers, and Kazuya turns away from his dorm room door.

"Don't thank me yet." Kazuya says matter of factly, walking away and heading for the female dorm.

**XXX**

Approaching the door to the female dormitory Kazuya Aoi can't help but question his purpose here as he pushes the classically styled door in. The sun has begun to set, and several students (mostly female) are milling about outside the dormitory, talking, waiting or just enjoying the warm afternoon. Stepping inside the dorm no alarm goes off, and none of the female students in the dorm lobby scream that a male student has trespassed into the female dorm.

Due to the nature of the Pandora/Limiter relationship the Academy doesn't do anything to discourage male and female students from being alone together, in reality the school quietly encourages it, doing innocuous things to make relationships between students easier, the major reason that students enjoy almost ten hours of free time each day is for that exact reason. Were the Academy like other boarding schools the students would be forced to participate in activities from the minute they wake up to roughly an hour before they're scheduled to go to sleep. Another thing that the school provides to make relationships easier is a directory in the lobby of each dormitory that provides the room number for any student living there along with directions on how to get to their particular room from the lobby, requiring only the name of the person being sought.

Approaching the touch screen directory Kazuya quickly types Satellizer's name, the computer quickly processing his request and showing him a portrait of her along with her room number and directions to her room. Glancing at it Kazuya quickly memorizes the information, turning away from the screen and finding himself standing face to face with a girl.

He doesn't recognize her, though judging from her body language he can tell that she is not an admirer here to profess her love or desire for him. Looking her up and down Kazuya notes that she has long dark hair hanging down behind her. Her eyes are dark and she's relatively attractive, though at the moment her features are set in annoyed scowl, the leer in her eyes directed solely at him.

"...Can I help you?" Kazuya asks evenly, the dark haired girl glaring at him a moment before she finally speaks.

"I would like to cease and desist your pursuit of Elizabeth-sama." The woman says matter of factly, and Kazuya just stares at her a moment, gauging her body language.

_She's serious...does she actually think _I'm_ the one responsible for being dragged to Elizabeth's house earlier today?_

"Look, I don't know who you are, but..."

"I'm Ticy Phenyl, the fourth ranked third year Pandora." Ticy interrupts him. "I don't know what you've done to garner Elizabeth-sama's attention but I want you to stop. She and Andre are happy together and you have no right to force yourself between them."

Looking at her Kazuya can't help but wonder if this girl is even remotely sane...

"Okay..." Kazuya says carefully, keeping his eyes on the strange girl. "I think you misunderstand, _I_..." Kazuya begins, making sure to accent the 'I' in the statement. "...don't want to 'force myself between' Mably-sempai or anyone else for that matter." Kazuya explains to her, making sure to use her last name and the honorific, to emphasize the distance between them. "I ran into her by accident. I apologized and attempted to leave her in peace, but _she_ dragged _me_ to her home, I didn't ask for any of it!" Kazuya insists. "So, if you think I'm forcing Mably-sempai into anything, you clearly don't know her very well, because the American Third Airborne Division couldn't force her to a damn thing she didn't want to."

Standing there Ticy blinks in surprise at Kazuya's refutation of her statement. He can see it in her eyes that she wasn't expecting him to deny that there was something between them and that he in no way desires Elizabeth. Elizabeth had told him that she was 'beating potential Limiters away with a stick' before she'd selected Andre, and apparently there was some truth to her statement. However...

_I don't want anything romantic to do with her or anyone else. My destiny is to die in battle against the NOVA..._

"You're being serious..." She answers as the realization hits her, and Kazuya crosses his arms over his chest.

"I am." Kazuya answers absolutely. "If you don't believe me, get in touch with her and ask her, I'm sure she'll happily tell you that she was the one who instigated everything."

"I...see..." She responds quietly, and Kazuya uncrosses his arms, allowing them both to fall at his sides.

"Then would you please excuse me?" Kazuya asks, forcing himself to sound polite.

"Of course." She answers, turning away and walking away from him without another word.

_Talk about stepping into the nut house..._

Forcing his thoughts about the strange third year out of his mind Kazuya heads the elevator, hitting the button and waiting quietly as a car descends. Allowing the car to empty out Kazuya steps inside and presses the appropriate floor, the elevator doors closing smoothly and thankfully leaving the young Aoi alone as the elevator begins it's smooth ascent.

Thirty seconds later the doors open and Kazuya steps out, taking in a square waiting area and plan wall opposite the elevator, a hall going left and right. Kazuya knows from experience that rooms line either side of this hall as it leads around in a giant square, and having memorized the directions Kazuya turns to his right and starts walking.

Heading for the corner in the hall Kazuya passes by a few third year students on his way to Satellizer's room. Sticking to the right side of the hall the older girls stay on the left, the hallway wide enough to accommodate six people walking shoulder to shoulder side by side.

Passing them they don't give him a second glance. Even wearing his uniform it isn't any big deal that a guy is on this floor. Nearly every third year is paired with a Limiter, so Kazuya showing up here wouldn't cause any sort of commotion, however should he put an appearance in on the floor dedicated to the first year students, it might raise a few eyebrows, since they are all incapable of forming a partnership with a Limiter...

_Not that it applies to me though...If I wanted to I could have a relationship with Kaho or any other first year girl and it wouldn't affect me or my abilities in the least, not that I _want_ to be with Kaho or anyone, for that matter..._

Approaching Satellizer's door Kazuya stops in front of it. Inhaling to gather himself Kazuya raises his hand and knocks loudly on the door, three distinct taps with his fist. Opting not to call out the Aoi male listens, cocking his head to the side and leaning his left ear ever so slightly closer to the door, straining to hear any sounds from the room on the opposite side.

A part of Kazuya hopes fervently that Satellizer has gone to bed or is in the bathroom and therefore won't have heard him knocking and he can just walk away. Another part of him however knows that if she doesn't answer he should at least try knocking a second time, and try calling out to her.

"Just a minute!" Satellizer's voice calls out to him from behind the door, a part of Kazuya feeling crushed at the sound of her voice, the Aoi male resisting the urge to mutter an expletive.

Muted footsteps coming from the other side Satellizer begins talking again, clearly assuming Kazuya is one of her friends as the knob turns...

"I thought I told you that you didn't have to knock if you wanted to come ov-" Satellizer stops mid word as the door opens, the bespectacled girl's blue eyes going wide in shock at the sight of Kazuya standing there.

She's still dressed in her school uniform, in spite of the fact that classes have been over for over two hours and before this she was presumably just sitting in her room.

Pressing his lips into a thin line Kazuya offers Satellizer a short, curt bow.

"el Bridgette-sempai, I wish to apologize for how I treated you at lunch earlier today." Kazuya begins formally, lowering his head. "What I said was ignorant and rude."

Standing there the older blonde is silent, and Kazuya looks up to see her mouth open, as though she means to say something but her vocal chords are simply unwilling to create the sound. Her eyes just stare at him, almost as if she's looking through him, a slightly uncomfortable feeling coming to him with Satellizer looking at him like that, as though he isn't even really there...

"...Sempai?" Kazuya asks curiously, Satellizer blinking in surprise before she begins speaking.

"I-uh, I didn't...um..." She stutters, several different statements fighting to be the first spoken.

"I understand if you don't wish to speak to me." Kazuya continues. "If I'm bothering you, I'll leave."

"No!" Satellizer blurts out, the response coming out a little sharper than she would've liked, her face tinting red in embarrassment, the older girl looking away from him before she continues. "Would...would you consent to coming in?"

The first thought that comes to Kazuya's mind is ambush. Nearly immediately he begins to imagine scenarios where she's going to attack him from behind and try to torture him or make him suffer for what he did to her earlier.

"I suppose." Kazuya agrees, the thought that anything even remotely romantic would happen between him never once crossing his mind.

He may be willing to help her, but she has six of Kazuha's stigmata implanted in her body, and while she isn't Kazuha, something about her does remind him of her, and he imagines that if it came to that with her it would be like doing that with a sister, and it would be distinctly uncomfortable/creepy...

Stepping back to allow him inside Satellizer motions for him to come in, Kazuya stepping into the room and taking three steps before Satellizer closes the door behind him. Standing in the room Kazuya casually glances around the room, seeing that it's a relatively normal room similar to his, though on her bed Satellizer has several stuffed animals and a quilt, the Aoi male quirking an eyebrow curiously at the sight.

_Did she knit that quilt, or was it given to her or did she just buy it?_

Any of the three thoughts could be possible, and Kazuya doesn't want to pry into her life by asking questions, so he keeps the question to himself as Satellizer walks around him, the older girl stopping in front of him, her cheeks still tinted red in spite of the two of them being alone.

"Um..." She begins sheepishly, not sure exactly what Kazuya meant when he apologized to her.

"Is there something wrong Sempai?" Kazuya asks, the Aoi completely curious why Satellizer might be embarrassed at all.

"Does...does this mean you've reconsidered being my Limiter?" She asks, and Kazuya quickly shakes his head no.

"No, it hasn't." Kazuya answers quickly, wanting to dispel any delusions about that immediately. "I just realized that what I said to you earlier was rude and a mistake on my part. If you wish to be friends with me, I feel that we could try that, but I am not looking for a Pandora."

Standing there Satellizer nods her understanding.

"May I ask why you refuse to take a Pandora?" Satellizer asks curiously, and Kazuya clenches his hands into fists.

"My reasons for not taking a Pandora are private, as I imagine the reason for you being called 'The Man Hating Untouchable Queen' is private."

Hearing her nickname Satellizer frowns, turning away from him and walking to the bed the blonde woman sits down on the bed, sighing tiredly.

"I hate that name..." She mutters, putting her hands together in front of her on her knees and interlocking her fingers.

"I don't mean to judge Sempai, but from what I've seen it rather fits." Kazuya says matter of factly.

Sighing again Satellizer's voice is still pitched low.

"I know...it's just..." She trails, and Kazuya speaks up.

"You're afraid of men?" Kazuya half asks, and she solemnly nods.

"I know it seems ridiculous, being the third ranked Pandora and afraid of a Limiter, but I can't help it." Satellizer defends herself. "Whenever a man gets close to me my heart begins to beat so fast and I feel so afraid...when one of them touches me I feel like I'm going to be raped, and I just react..."

"I'm not judging you Sempai, nor do I mean to condemn you, but not every man wants to rape you, I don't." Kazuya says evenly, and Satellizer blinks in surprise, looking up at him with her cheeks flushed a deep red.

"I didn't think you did!" She blurts out quickly. "I didn't mean to insinuate that you did! I just..." She trails, not knowing what else to say.

"Sempai, if I'm making you uncomfortable..." Kazuya trails, and Satellizer quickly shakes her head no, her blonde hair swaying side to side with the motion.

"It's not that!" She says adamantly, meeting his gaze a moment before looking away again. "It's just..."

"It's just what, Sempai?" Kazuya asks, taking a seat on the bed next to her, but leaving several inches of space between them, testing whether or not Julia was lying to him when she told him that Satellizer doesn't feel afraid of him.

Seeing him sit down next to her Satellizer slowly reaches out and places her hand on his knee, the English girl just setting her hand there, allowing her fingers to conform to the shape of his knee and nothing else.

"It's this..." She trails quietly, her eyes looking down at her hand on his knee. "Just being this close to you, I don't feel any of the anxiety or fear that I feel with every other man..."

Watching her hand Kazuya gently places his hand on top of hers, aware that Satellizer may spring into action and ready to leap from the bed and spread his Freezing grid if he needs to.

Feeling his hand on top of hers Satellizer's cheeks flush an even deeper shade of red. She can't explain why Kazuya doesn't cause the same anxiety and fear that every other male she's gotten close to since her half sister Violet saved her from her younger half brother Louis.

"This doesn't bother you at all Sempai?" Kazuya asks, and Satellizer quickly shakes her head no, afraid that if she speaks she's going to give away just how embarrassed and how...pleasant she feels...

"Then...do you think that maybe I could help you get over your fear?" Kazuya asks, and Satellizer blinks in surprise at the sudden question.

"Help...me...get over my fear?" Satellizer asks, and Kazuya nods.

"Sempai, I'm a man." Kazuya explains to her. "No matter how I may look or act, I'm a man. Do you think it's possible that if you get used to being around me maybe you wouldn't be so anxious about being around men."

"I..." Satellizer trails, not sure if that tactic might work or not.

"I want to try and help you Sempai." Kazuya says earnestly. "Your fear controls you, if I can help you to have a normal relationship with a man and get past this problem, then I want to try."

Hearing that he wants to try and help her, that he doesn't view her...problem... as strictly her business she feels a rush of warmth spread from her stomach through the rest of her body.

_What is this feeling...?_

Sitting there Kazuya watches her, not sure what else to say as Satellizer just sits there quietly, her gaze hard to read with the way the light reflects off of her glasses, making it nearly impossible for Kazuya to get a good look at her eyes without blatantly moving his head.

Sitting there Satellizer thinks about _how_ Kazuya could help her, the two of them holding hands, hugging, spending time together, and even...

A clear mental image comes to her mind's eye, her dress falling around her ankles as Kazuya drinks in her naked form, approaching her and wrapping her in his arms, leaning forward and whispering throatily in her ear how beautiful she is...

"Sempai?" Kazuya asks, and the sound of his voice pulls Satellizer out of her mental musings, bringing her back to the present.

"Yes Kazuya?" Satellizer blurts out, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment, the thought he might somehow know what she was thinking about making her cheeks turn an even deeper shade of red.

"Do you think that if you get used to being around me it might help you conquer your problem?" Kazuya asks, and Satellizer nods quickly.

"I think so..." She answers him quietly. "Though, I don't know for sure, but I would like to try..."

"All right then." Kazuya says, giving her a hand a very gentle squeeze before he slowly stands up, Satellizer's hand falling from his knee as she watches him get to his feet.

"Kazuya?" She asks curiously, and he turns his attention toward the door.

"I need to go back to my room and get a shower. I have a lot to do tomorrow and I need to prepare."

"OK Kazuya..." Satellizer agrees slowly, pushing up off the bed.

Walking toward the door Kazuya puts his hand on the knob, turning it and opening the door, revealing three third year Pandoras standing outside the door, their ears practically pressed to the thin wood. At the door's sudden opening each of the three girls starts in surprise, looking at Kazuya and then Satellizer before they split, one of them running off to the left while the others run to the right.

Sighing Satellizer approaches him from behind, careful to leave at least an arm's length between them before Satellizer stops.

"I'm sorry about that Kazuya..." Satellizer apologizes. "With my reputation, people thought that I would never have a guy in my room, so they were probably listening thinking that I was going to hurt you like I have every other man that's gotten close to me."

Shrugging Kazuya isn't offended by what he just saw, the young Aoi understanding completely why those three girls would stand outside Satellizer's door and listen. If she _had _hurt him and he screamed, they would probably burst in to protect him.

"It's nothing." He says dismissively. "What about tomorrow? Do you want to eat lunch with me and Arthur and Kaho?"

"Um...sure." Satellizer agrees, and Kazuya nods.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow Sempai." Kazuya says in farewell, stepping out of the door and closing it behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

**OK, so someone left me a snarky review, so now all of you get this nice little AN as a result, in addition to the PM I sent to said reviewer. This reviewer said one thing that REALLY bothered me, bothered me enough to write this and probably put this AN before the next chapter of EVERY story I write, just on principle. The simple message is this: Not ONE of you people has the right to demand a damn thing from me, or has the right to tell me what I have to write in one of my stories. If you wish that to change, you can begin paying me to do this, and I will happily begin to churn out chapters as long as the money flows. Should someone wish to pursue this option, (WHICH I HIGHLY DOUBT ANY OF YOU WILL, AND DON'T EXPECT YOU TO.) I have a Paypal account, PM me and we can arrange something. If you don't like what I'm writing, you really have two options A) (AND I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THIS) You can write your own Freezing story and have Kazuya act however you please. If you do decide to go this route and wish for a sounding board send me a PM and I will happily answer it. If you don't go this route, you have option B, which is STOP READING MY STORY. If this story brings you no pleasure to read, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU READING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! Don't be a spoiled little brat and expect someone else to give you what you want for free, because it doesn't happen in the real world folks.**

**-DarkSwordMage**

Chapter 5

The next morning Kaho Hiiragi sits in her seat, the Class President watching as the other students all file into their class. She'd spoken with Arthur this morning and Arthur told her that when he knocked on Kazuya's door this morning to ask if Kazuya would like to walk to class with him Kazuya had apparently been gone, the door locked and not a sound coming from inside.

Then she'd seen the notice posted outside the female dorm. It was a digital sign displaying a message from the Student Council. The message simply read that Kazuya Aoi's supposed ability to use both Freezing and a Volt Weapon were in fact true, verified by no one other than the 'Academy's Reigning Queen' Elizabeth Mably herself. Seeing that she'd wondered what exactly happened between Kazuya and Elizabeth when she'd dragged him off campus halfway through his first day.

When she'd gotten to class she'd looked around expecting to see Kazuya sitting in his seat, waiting for class to begin. She'd thought that he'd left his room early to get to class before many students are up and about and avoid any attention he might receive walking with the rest of the students to class. Nearly every Third, Second and First year Pandora knows who he is now, with the billboard combined with the rumors making some of them want to approach him and ask him to be his Pandora.

Unfortunately, when she'd arrived in class Kazuya was nowhere to be found.

As the majority of the students file into the class Yumi-sensei enters the room, calling out for her homeroom students to take their seats. Following the instruction the students sit, Yumi-sensei calling out their names and doing attendance verbally.

When Kazuya's name comes up Yumi smoothly skips his name, not even mentioning it aloud.

Kaho's hand popping up Yumi stops talking, her attention fixing on the normally reserved Class President.

"Yes Hiiragi?" Yumi acknowledges her.

"Sensei..." Kaho begins slowly, standing up. "Where is Kazuya-kun? Is he absent?"

Blinking Yumi shakes her head no.

"Kazuya Aoi has a weekly appointment with the medical staff here, he won't be attending class until after lunch."

A murmur goes through the assembled students at this news, many of them asking the same questions Kaho is asking herself.

"Why would Kazuya have a weekly appointment with the medical staff?" One student whispers to another.

"Is there something wrong with him that he has to be monitored?" Another whispers.

Like the rest of them Kaho can't help but ask herself these questions and like the rest of the students she can't come up with any answer that has positive connotations...

**XXX**

**Two hours earlier.**

Walking toward the Doctor's office from the dorm Kazuya can feel feeling a of dread forming in his gut. For as long as he can remember Kazuya has had to visit some sort of medical facility at least once a week, and he knows exactly what he is going to experience when he goes into the Doctor's office...

_Maybe if I'm lucky they'll sedate me..._

It's still early yet, and most of the students haven't yet come to school, and as far as Kazuya is concerned that is no big deal. He's been a stand out all his life, and being alone is nothing new for him.

Walking from the dorm he's outside, the early morning air slightly chilled, the sun not yet high enough to warm the air completely, the morning dew on the grass giving it an ethereal shimmer.

"Excuse me de arimasu, but could you tell me where the Faculty building is de arimashou?" A woman's voice carries to his ears.

There's a momentary pause, and then a woman's startled voice snaps back at the first speaker.

"G-Go away!" A woman growls back. "Can't you see my boys and I are busy!"

"I am sorry de arimasu, but I just need to find the main faculty building..." The strange voice replies calmly.

Stopping in his tracks Kazuya feels a momentary sense of conflict. It isn't any of his business that some student with a strange way of speaking can't locate the main building and the person she's found to help her doesn't want to help her. On the other hand he has plenty of time before his appointment with School Doctor, so taking five minutes to find the strange speaker and point her in the right direction wouldn't be a major inconvenience.

_What would Kazuha do? _Kazuya asks himself, the young man already knowing the answer to the question.

Turning toward the source of the noise Kazuya follows the sound around and behind the female dorm building. Turning the corner to the back of the building Kazuya quickly spots a strange woman dressed in odd clothing, wearing a backpack on her back with long navy blue colored hair tied into braids.

Near her stand four people, three boys and one girl. The boys all have their shirts off, wearing their uniform's trousers and shoes, while the woman isn't wearing any part of her uniform at all. She has long wavy blue hair and is dressed in only a skimpy pair of blue lingerie. Kazuya can't imagine what the four of them could be doing out here at this time _other_ than something indecent.

The three boys all look surprised at the sight of the strange foreign girl, while the blue haired Pandora looks furious. For her part the strangely dressed foreigner appears completely oblivious to the Pandora's anger.

"Please, de arimasu..." The strangely dressed girl continues. "Just point me toward the main building and I will be on my way with your Kunlun's blessing de arimashou."

_Kunlun..._ Kazuya thinks to himself, standing near the corner the Aoi male remains quiet, a part of him hoping that this situation will resolve itself without his interference.

"Just go away!" The Pandora dismisses the foreign girl. "Can't you see we're busy!"

"Your Kunlun isn't very nice, de arimasu." The foreigner explains pointedly, a hint of disappointment to her voice.

For Kazuya it's clear that not one of the four students have any clue what this strange foreigner is talking about.

_I'd better speak up before this gets violent..._

"Excuse me..." Kazuya calls out politely, five heads all turning toward the source of the noise.

"Greetings de arimaska!" The strange girl smiles at him, her dark eyes as wide as saucers.

Approaching him the strangely dressed girl carries a naivety about her that Kazuya finds somewhat out of place. In a school for people training to become warriors and fight for the protection of humanity there are very few who still look at the world with a bright outlook like this girl obviously does.

Reaching out she takes Kazuya's right hand in both of hers, swinging his arm up and down in an overly exaggerated expression of a handshake.

"Do...you need someone to take you to the main building?" Kazuya asks after the girl finishes her handshake, the Aoi carefully pulling his hand from both of hers.

At the offer of assistance her eyes practically shine with happiness, the girl placing both hands in front of her she practically glows with joy.

"Oh, it so nice to meet someone with such a kind Kunlun de arimaska!" She gushes happily. "Most of the people in this place have very mean Kunlun de arimasu."

"Then I take it you're a Disciple of Kunlun, from Tibet?" Kazuya asks, the girl's mouth going wide in shocked surprise.

"That's correct, de arimaska!" She affirms for him, opening her arms the girl _hugs_ him, embracing him warmly and without any ill intent or hint of embarrassment.

The second her arms wrap around his shoulders Kazuya's arms go ramrod straight, his entire body tensing in response to the sudden movement.

"The Kunlun inside of you is very kind and also very smart de arimaska!" She continues. "Plus, you are the first I've met here who knows of Kunlun, are you perhaps a Disciple as well, de arimashou?"

"N-no..." Kazuya answers, not entirely comfortable with this girl being so close him and with her arms around him.

"Oh..." She trails, her voice brimming with disappointment as she lowers her arms, stepping back as she continues. "It is sad that you are aware of Kunlun's splendor but do not embrace it, de arimasu."

"I used to work with someone who was a devout Disciple." Kazuya explains to the girl, relief washing over him at her stepping back, _away_ from him. "He told me all about Kunlun, that's how I know."

"Then it is very nice to meet you, de arimaska!" She smiles at him again, that completely and obliviously, has to be fake it's just _too_ happy smile. "May I ask your name?"

Opening his mouth to answer the girl blinks and starts talking again, cutting him off before he can answer.

"My apologies, de arimasu." She cuts him off, bowing her head in apology. "It is customary to offer one's own name before asking for another, I am Lana Linchen, and it it is nice to meet you de arimasu." She continues, introducing herself to him.

_Definitely not from Japan with a name like that..._

"I'm Kazuya Aoi." Kazuya introduces himself. "It's nice to meet you as well."

Whilst the Kazuya and Lana speak and introduce themselves to one another the Pandora and her three lovers remain silent, watching the two of them and listening. When the girl hears Kazuya's name however, her interest spikes and she steps forward, breaking her silence.

"Kazuya Aoi?" She asks, speaking up as she steps toward them. "The Limiter that can supposedly use a Volt Weapon in addition to Freezing?"

His lips turning down in a frown Kazuya turns his attention away from Lana and regards the blue haired Pandora with a mix of disdain and annoyance.

"And you would be?" Kazuya asks coolly, any hint of the friendly tone he was using with Lana gone from his voice.

"I am the Liberator of Virtue Miyubi Kannaduki." The woman introduces herself. "I want you to become my Limiter."

"Limiter?" Lana asks curiously, looking between Miyubi and Kazuya curiously.

Standing there Kazuya slowly shakes his head, turning back toward Lana.

"Shall we go now?" Kazuya ignores Miyubi's request. "I'll take you to the main building and you can speak to Sister Margaret or whomever it is you need to speak to."

Blinking curiously Lana opens her mouth to agree when Miyubi calls out, interrupting the Tibetan girl before she can speak

"Hey!" Miyubi growls, clearly offended by Kazuya's outright ignoring her demand. "I told you I want you to be my Limiter and you just ignore me!"

She activates her Volt Texture, her uniform appearing along with four floating daggers hovering around her.

Seeing it happen Kazuya does the same, activating his own Volt Texture, his M107 appearing in his hands, Kazuya aiming the rifle directly for Miyubi's heart. Seeing that weapon appear in his hands Lana's eyes go wide in surprise, the stigmata on her back somehow recognizing that Kazuya wields a Volt Weapon in his hands, in spite of the fact that only Pandora are supposed to be able to.

"Looks like we've got a stand off, so let me tell you something about my rifle, in case you didn't know." Kazuya begins slowly, speaking evenly. "The projectiles fired from it travel at over three thousand feet per second and pack the same explosive force as fifty pounds of C5 military grade high explosive. You need to ask yourself, what's faster, my bullet or your daggers?"

Standing there Miyubi narrows her eyes in anger, her eyes momentarily flickering with light.

"Do it, all of you!" She calls out to her three partners, each of their eyes flickering with light as well.

_She performed the baptism with all three of them?_

As one the three boys all raise their arms and extend their Freezing, trying to trap Kazuya in it their three grids converge on him, Miyubi smiling as Kazuya stops moving. Stepping forward confidence and arrogance exudes off of Miyubi in waves, the woman actually flipping the hair from one shoulder as her daggers follow her, floating in the air around her as she approaches Kazuya.

"Not so arrogant now, are we?" Miyubi asks confidently, raising a hand and cupping his chin with her hand. "You may be able to use both but there's no way you can fight off the Freezing from three different Limiters at once. Now then...I think I'll make you my newest conquest, the most unique Limiter of them all and when I'm done with you I'll have you begging to stay with me, just like those three back there..."

Leaning in Miyubi moves to kiss him when suddenly a fist impacts her right cheek, a metal gauntlet and the fist beneath it slamming into her jaw and knocking the amorous blue haired Pandora aside.

"Gah!" Miyubi cries out in unexpected pain, each of her Limiters flinching, the three of them each feeling the pain Miyubi felt through the Ereinbar Set.

Landing on her side Miyubi looks up to see Lana standing there wearing a pair of metal gauntlets and matching boots _over_ her normal clothing, indicating that she wasn't wearing them beneath her robes before, meaning...

_A Volt Weapon? Is she a transfer student from another Genetics? _Kazuya thinks to himself.

"Are you a Pandora?" Miyubi demands angrily, standing up and rubbing her jaw where Lana struck her.

"I do not know what a 'Limiter' is, de arimasu, but I _do_ know that _your_ Kunlun is wicked and mean and I will not allow you to try and pervert someone with a pure Kunlun like Kazuya-san. It is my duty as a Disciple of Kunlun to punish you for your wicked ways and purify the Kunlun in you de arimaska!"

Standing there Miyubi doesn't understand most of Lana just said, only knowing that girl has hit her, and she isn't going to just take that without a fight.

"Spout all the religious nonsense you want, but I'm going to make you pay for hitting me!" Miyubi challenges.

Sending her daggers toward Lana the third year Pandora doesn't dare order her Limiters to Freeze Lana instead of Kazuya. Kazuya is her prize and she doesn't want to damage him before she can perform the baptism with him and claim him as her own.

Raising her arms Lana moves away from Kazuya, not wanting to get him caught up in the cross fire Miyubi's knives change direction, seeking out their target Lana raises her arms and one leg, using her gauntlets and metal boots to deflect the incoming knives and knock them away harmlessly.

"Why you little..." Miyubi growls, her knives changing direction mid air, moving around to strike Lana again.

Rather than stand there Lana moves, shifting to her right she runs around Kazuya in a wide arc, running toward Miyubi as her opponent's knives try to run her through, the Tibetan woman shifting left and right, avoiding her opponent's weapons and closing the gap between them.

Once inside of arm's reach Lana pulls her right fist back, thrusting it forward with a martial arts yell.

"Empty Fang!" Lana cries out, striking her opponent Miyubi is blown back like she's been hit with a freight train.

"GAH!" Miyubi cries out in pain as she flies backward, her body slapping against the brick wall of the school hard, each of her Limiters feeling her pain through the link, though not one of them falters in their Freezing.

Landing on her hands and knees Miyubi spits, looking up at Lana with disgust written all over her features.

"I'm going rip your clothes off and make you regret the day you were born..." Miyubi vows absolutely, her hatred for Lana brimming in her voice.

"I...think not..." Kazuya answers, his rifle turning toward Miyubi a laser sight on the side of Kazuya's scope appears, the red laser projecting a dot the size of a small coin on Miyubi's forehead.

The third year Pandora blinks in surprise, her eyes darting from Kazuya to her Limiters and back again.

"How can you move!" She demands in shock. "The three of them are Freezing you!"

"And you think I can't neutralize Freezing?" Kazuya asks calmly, finger on the trigger.

"Then why didn't you do it earlier?" Miyubi demands. "If you could do it all this time why act like you couldn't?"

"The element of surprise is crucial in battle." Kazuya intones evenly. "As a third year, you of all people should know that the element of surprise has turned the tide in countless conflicts. With you getting so close to me I could've introduced you to the butt stock of my rifle and dropped you to the ground, had Lana-san not decided to step in."

Growling in annoyance Miyubi stands up slowly, the laser sight from Kazuya's scope following her evenly as she stands, her knives disappearing from the air in defeat. Shutting down the Ereinbar Set the Freezing effect from her Limiters vanishes, the three young men lowering their arms back to their sides once more.

"Fine..." She mutters, clearly displeased with the turn of events. "I concede."

"Good." Kazuya agrees. "Now, take those three poor souls you call Limiters and..." Kazuya trails, a sudden spasm jerking the muscles over Kazuya's left shoulder blade.

Wincing Kazuya can hear a voice whisper in his hear, his Volt Weapon disappearing from his hands the Aoi male clenches his teeth, a pained grunt escaping his lips, his left hand coming up and covering his left eye as Kazuya feels the strange muscle spasm spread from his shoulder blade up his body; the voice speaking softly, almost impossible to hear at first.

"Kill..." A strange asexual voice whispers, Kazuya recognizing it immediately. "Kill..."

_No..._ Kazuya thinks to himself, dropping to his knees. _Not now..._

The voice gets louder with each word, begging Kazuya to listen, demanding that he obey.

"Kill...Kill...KILL...!"

Grunting in pain Kazuya drops to the ground, clutching at his face with one hand with the rest of his body seemingly spasming like he's having a seizure. Watching it happen Miyubi raises and eyebrow suspiciously, looking toward her Limiters and then back to him curiously.

"Kazuya?" Lana asks curiously, approaching him. "What's wrong..."

"Get..." Kazuya whispers, trying to force his right arm to reach into his pocket to grasp the case there. "Get...away...Run..." Kazuya pleads with the Tibetan girl.

Kneeling down next to him Lana doesn't run or even try, concern etched across her features she wants to try and help him if she can.

Watching carefully Miyubi catches a glimpse of the left side of Kazuya's face, just a momentary glance between his fingers of his eye and the surrounding skin.

What she sees makes her want to turn and run as far as she can as quickly as she can.

His eye no longer looks human, his left eye now looks more like an eye socket shaped white light bulb then an ocular organ. The skin around his left eye has strange black crystal shaped marks spreading across the skin, the sight of it sending chills down Miyubi's spine.

"We're leaving, NOW!" Miyubi calls out to her three partners, the three boys all nodding their heads obediently before following off after their Pandora as she takes off in a full on sprint, the three relatively human boys struggling to keep up.

"Kazuya-san, what's wrong? What can I do to help?" Lana insists, and Kazuya grits his teeth, the Aoi male wanting nothing more than for her to leave so he can handle this in private.

He doesn't want Lana, or anyone for that matter, to be aware of what is happening to him. In his eyes it is his problem and he has been managing it on his own for over a year now.

_Just go away..._

"Run..." He manages to enunciate, and Lana shakes her head no in denial.

"You are in pain Kazuya-san, and my Kunlun would never allow me to forgive myself for abandoning someone in their time of need de arimasu."

Cursing to himself Kazuya rolls onto his left side, making sure to cover as much of the left side of his face as he can. The Aoi can feel 'it' spreading beneath the skin, trying to cover his entire body and drown him in the desire to kill and destroy, Kazuya doing his best to ignore the now screaming voice and speak to Lana.

"My right front pocket... case there...get it for me..." Kazuya says, Lana's head bobbing in understanding.

Reaching into his pocket Lana grasps the smooth black object inside his pocket and withdraws a small case no bigger than a pencil case many elementary school students carry with them in their bags.

"Switch on top, press it..." Kazuya continues, Lana doing as instructed.

Pressing the switch the case splits down the middle, the top half sliding open on a track to reveal a hypodermic syringe filled with a blue incandescent liquid. Grabbing the syringe curiously Lana holds it up, setting the case aside.

"Is this what you want Kazuya-san, de arimaska?" Lana asks, Kazuya bobbing his head again.

"It's a...syringe..." Kazuya struggles to get the words out, rolling onto his stomach. "Pull my shirt up, stick it onto my left shoulder blade and press the button on the top..."

Nodding Lana does as instructed, even she knows how to work a needle as she pulls up his shirt. What she sees however makes her momentarily stop and stare. What catches her eye first are the four scars on each shoulder blade, each one a stigmata scar, meaning he has eight stigmata inside his body...

"Eight tears of Kunlun, de arimasu..." Lana whispers, blinking in surprise before she notices the strange tattoo-like crystal design slowly spreading from the stigmata over his left shoulder blade across his back, heading for the other four stigmata on his other shoulder.

Jabbing the needle directly into his left shoulder blade Lana presses the stud on the back of the syringe. Kazuya can feel the liquid flowing in through his pores, a cold sensation flowing momentarily over the muscle, the feeling receding as the pain goes away.

The voice stops screaming, the incandescent blue liquid drained from the syringe. With the voice gone a sigh of relief passes Kazuya's lips as the strange crystal marks fade from his skin. After several long moments Kazuya gets to his hands and knees, the Aoi male pushing himself to his feet before reaching down and grabbing at the discarded case on the ground, holding his hand out to Lana.

"Thank you, may I have that syringe back now?" Kazuya asks, and Lana nods, returning the syringe to him Kazuya places it back in the case and then closes it.

_That's the first flare up I've had in over a year... _Kazuya thinks as he stares at the case momentarily.

"Kazuya-san, what happened to you de arimashou?" Lana asks, concern for him written all over her face.

"I...I have to go to the Doctor's office." Kazuya explains to Lana. "It's in the main building, so you can just follow me there and then you can go speak to whomever you need to."

Once again Lana shakes her head no in denial.

"I will follow you to the Doctor and ensure that you receive proper medical care, then I shall speak with Sister Margaret." Lana insists, and Kazuya suppresses a grunt.

"Follow me then..." He mutters, turning toward the main building.

_I wonder how long it's going to be before everyone in the entire school knows about what happened here today, and what kind of monster I really am..._

Picking up his pace Kazuya breaks into a fast walk, slipping the case back into his pocket as he heads toward the Doctor's office, Lana hot on his heels.

**XXX**

Walking into the Nurse's office Elize-sensei looks up at him as Kazuya opens the door with Lana right behind him. The Doctor sits at her desk and holds a digital pad, the modern replacement for clipboards, her eyes glued to the pad for a moment before looking up to meet his gaze.

"I've had a flare up." Kazuya says to her, her eyes momentarily going wide in shocked surprise.

Hearing _that _Kazuya gets Elize's complete and undivided attention. Of all the people in Genetics West Elize Schmidt is one of the two who has been fully briefed about Kazuya's situation, herself along with Sister Margaret know exactly what his physical situation is, and only the two of them know what it means when Kazuya says he's had a 'flare up.'

"Then lets get you ready for treatment." Elize says, standing up from her chair.

Stepping inside Lana follows him, Kazuya closing the door behind her and giving the three of them some semblance of privacy.

"Who are you?" Elize looks directly at Lana, suspicion coloring her tone.

"She helped me and applied the booster for me." Kazuya explains. "I think she's a new student here..."

"I am, de arimasu." Lana explains with a cheerful tone. "My name is Lana Linchen, and I am transferring here as a Second Year Student."

"Wait here then." Elize says, turning to Kazuya. "Follow me."

Nodding Kazuya follows Elize into one of her patient rooms, the Doctor closing the door behind her, leaving Lana alone in the waiting room.

Sitting down the Disciple of Kunlun chooses to wait patiently, not quite sure why she should have to wait, but not minding all that much.

Her Kunlun is patient after all, and when Kazuya activated her Volt Texture she could feel the Tears resonate inside her body, telling her that this boy is her soul mate, the one she is meant to be with no matter what...

Twenty minutes later the door to the hall opens, and a woman stands in the doorway wearing a nun's habit, Lana recognizing the woman, standing up quickly and bowing politely to the woman.

"Sister Margaret!" Lana offers in greeting. "I wasn't expecting you de arimasu..."

Nodding the woman smiles at the Tibetan Pandora.

"I'm not here just because of you." Sister Margaret counters kindly. "I'm told that Kazuya suffered an attack this morning?"

Blinking Lana nods emphatically.

"Some woman named Miyubi tried to force him to become something called a 'Limiter' even though she apparently already had three, de arimasu." Lana explains.

"That isn't what I'm talking about." Sister Margaret responds with a light shake of her head. "Did he have something like a seizure, where he began to cry out in pain and fell to his knees?"

Again Lana nods again.

"He did, de arimasu." Lana affirms for the woman. "He tried to get me to run away but I wouldn't, and he asked me to apply a hypodermic needle to his skin where he had these strange black marks growing across his skin around his Tears of Kunlun."

Nodding Sister Margaret knows exactly what Lana is talking about.

"As you must already know Kazuya is a special case, and I would ask that you not speak to anyone about this incident." Sister Margaret explains to Lana. "He doesn't trust people and what you saw happen to him today is one of his most hated secrets. The only people aware of that this could happen to him are myself, the Doctor, and now you."

"I understand, de arimasu." Lana explains. "As Kazuya's soul mate I will watch over him and ensure that he doesn't suffer any problems."

Hearing _that _the Sister's normally relaxed gaze becomes incredibly serious, her voice dead even.

"Did you perform the baptism with him or share his stigmata in any way?" The Sister asks, and Lana quickly shakes her head no.

Seeing Lana's negative reaction the Sister allows a sigh of relief to pass her lips.

"That's good." Margaret says quietly. "I only have one further question, did any other student see Kazuya during his 'seizure?'" Margaret asks, Lana silent for a moment as she raises her finger to her lips.

"There were four, de arimasu." Lana says evenly. "Someone calling herself 'The Liberator of Virtue' and three boys."

Nodding Margaret knows exactly whom Lana is speaking about.

"I'll send someone to have a chat with Miyubi and her three Limiters." Margaret explains to Lana. "Please remain here while I meet with Doctor Elize."

Nodding Lana sits down again, not sure what's going to happen as the Sister walks into the patient's room that Doctor Elize took Kazuya into. Sitting there she has no idea what is happening inside the Patient Room, but she is bound and determined not to move from this spot until she sees Kazuya again...

**XXX**

Closing the door behind her 'Sister' Margaret's gaze slowly pans around the room, taking in the sight of Doctor Elize standing at the foot of a bed, machines surrounding the bed on both sides with various types of tubes and electrodes hanging from them. Connected to each machine, lying in the center of the bed with his eyes closed is Kazuya, his shirt off and lying on his back with needles stuck into each of the eight stigmata scars on his back.

"How is he?" Margaret asks, approaching the Doctor quietly, the woman's attention fixed on the data pad held in her hand.

Glancing over Elize's shoulder Margaret recognizes that medical readouts are displayed on the screen, but thanks to Kazuya's...unique physiology she has no idea what is 'normal' and what isn't.

"His body is accepting the inhibitor treatment." Elize reports, her gaze still fixed on the screen.

"Is he in any danger?" Margaret asks, and it's then that Elize looks away from the screen, the Doctor slowly shaking her head no.

"For now, no." Elize affirms, breathing a heavy sigh before she turns her gaze back to the sleeping Kazuya.

Just looking at him she can't help but be reminded of Kazuha, the woman who gave her life defending the people she loved. Seeing her little brother lying on a bed with needles stabbed into his back, softly glowing blue liquid flowing into his stigmata and knowing that he will be right back in this very same position in a mere seven days breaks her heart.

_Kazuha didn't want this, she wanted him to be happy and smile, and instead someone has twisted him into something that only feels remotely human and has to constantly worry about a weekly treatment or risk changing into a new type of NOVA..._

Seeing the pain on the Doctor's face Margaret doesn't need to be psychic to know what the Doctor is thinking and to understand it. More than she will ever admit to anyone Margaret sympathizes with Elize and believes that what has been done to Kazuya in the name of science is deplorable, and the men responsible should be taken out, beaten within in an inch of their lives, and then shot.

Unfortunately the very same men who are responsible for what happened to Kazuya are also some of the most powerful people on the planet with enough influence to bankrupt some smaller countries.

She also can never show her sympathy, can never show emotion and become attached to the students who come here and learn and graduate, because the odds are, each and every one of them is going to die in battle, only a fraction of 1% surviving to the age of 30.

"This is wrong..." Elize mutters, looking down at the pad again before lowering the pad to her side, turning her gaze away from the bed and the Aoi male lying in it. "Kazuha never wanted this..."

"Kazuha Aoi is not the one responsible for Kazuya's condition." Margaret responds calmly, and Elize scoffs in disgust.

"She was a hero, and he is her _only_ family and this is what we do to him? Turn him into something that has to have needles jammed into back on a weekly basis just to remain human?"

"We both know what happened to Kazuha." Margaret responds calmly. "We cannot allow something like that to happen to Kazuya, he is far too valuable to be allowed to become a NOVA."

Turning her body toward the Sister with tears at the edges of Elize's eyes, her gaze brimming with condemnation and sadness.

"Is that all he is to you? He's sacrificed so much, practically had his humanity stolen away from him, and all you can think of him as is an asset, or a weapon!"

Meeting Elize's gaze not a flicker of emotion shows in Margaret's eyes.

"Unlike you Doctor I can't afford to empathize with my charges." Margaret responds coldly, her gaze falling on Kazuya. "You've seen his psychological evaluations, you know how he views himself, that he has a borderline death wish. If we are unable to learn what it is that allows him to do what he does then it's very likely he will never see combat against the NOVAs, they will lock him in a lab and analyze him endlessly until they learn the secret. I pray that day never comes..."

Not knowing what to say to that Elize turns her gaze back to the sleeping Kazuya, the Doctor sniffling once before reaching up and wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

"We have to try and set this right, he's just a boy and he never asked for any of these things to happen to him. He deserves to have a little happiness in his life while he can still get it."

"On that Doctor Schmidt, we agree completely."

**XXX**

Walking into the cafeteria at lunch time Kazuya is glad to see that he's late, and students are already milling about the lunch room, eating and talking to one another. Acting as nonchalantly as possible Kazuya walks to a table filled with trays and grabs one, going to the Japanese food line and filling his tray. Once that's done Kazuya turns to the room, taking in the sight of the bustling lunchroom and spotting Kaho and Arthur sitting at their usual table.

Not only are Kazuya's dorm neighbor and class president sitting at the table, but Satellizer El Bridgett and _both_ of her friends sit at the table, Satellizer conveniently taking taking the seat farthest from Arthur. Watching the table for a moment Kazuya quickly learns that both Kaho and Arthur are staring at Satellizer, each of them proverbially on pins and needles with the 'Man Hating Untouchable Queen' sitting at their table.

Approaching the table calmly Kazuya calls out friendly in greeting, speaking as though nothing were wrong at all.

"Hello Hiiragi-san, Crimpton-san, Sempais..." Kazuya greets each of them, smoothly sitting down at the table.

At the sound of his voice every pair of eyes at the table snaps to him, Satellizer's lips turning up in a slight smile, Kaho's face etched in surprise.

"Hello Kazuya..." Satellizer offers quietly, Kaho ignoring the quiet greeting, standing up in surprise at the sight of her classmate.

"Kazuya, what happened to you this morning!" Kaho asks quickly. "Yumi-sensei said you have a weekly appointment with Doctor Schmidt..."

Nodding Kazuya picks up his chopsticks carefully.

"I do." Kazuya agrees, taking the sticks into his hands, looking up to see each pair of eyes looking at him expectantly, as though pleading with him to say more.

When he doesn't Kaho is the first to speak, voicing the question shared between all five of the students sitting at the table.

"Why do you have to spend half a day with Elize-sensei once a week?"

Taking some rice to his lips Kazuya chews the rice momentarily before swallowing.

"They're still trying to figure out what makes me so special." Kazuya explains calmly. "I have to undergo a full gamut of tests once a week, everything from blood work to every kind of sample they can analyze." Kazuya explains, only telling the five students a partial truth.

The full truth is he does have to go for weekly monitoring, but it is not the only reason, but as far as he is concerned none of them need to concern themselves with the full truth, it's his business after all and none of theirs.

"Are you all right?" Satellizer asks quietly, Kaho and Arthur blinking in surprise at the blonde woman's quiet question, and the soft, sincere concern in her voice.

Neither of them have _ever _heard her remotely sound like she cares about anything before, not even through the rumor mill.

Nodding Kazuya speaks calmly.

"I'm fine, they ran their tests and released me. I have the notes from this morning's classes and I'll make up any missed work."

"If..." Satellizer trails, suddenly feeling self conscious her voice drops in pitch, barely audible to Kazuya sitting across the circular table from her. "If you don't understand anything in the notes, I'll help you study..."

"I appreciate the offer Sempai, but I'm sure I'll be fine..." Kazuya smoothly rejects Satellizer's offer.

For Julia and Yuki, just hearing Satellizer make that offer is a good sign. For a woman in her position to actively _want_ to be around a man, even someone with the personality of a dirty bog like Kazuya, it's a big step forward, and hopefully the first of many.

"I heard through the rumor mill that you had another altercation this morning." Yuki speaks up, speaking smoothly. "You got into a fight with that slut Miyubi and her three partners..."

Among the third years Miyubi Kannaduki is more known for her lascivious ways than her fighting prowess. Even her so called 'title' which she brandishes so proudly is nothing more than allusion to the simple fact that she _loves_ taking a boy's virginity and 'raising' them to her tastes before taking back her stigmata and leaving him. It's a cruel practice and frowned upon by many of her peers, but as long as she has at least one partner at any given time Miyubi is well within the school's requirement for her to be 'combat ready' and there is nothing saying a Pandora can't choose to end a relationship if she chooses, even after performing the baptism relationships can go bad and people want to go their separate ways, it happens.

"I wasn't alone." Kazuya counters easily, taking a portion of fish into his chopsticks and raising it to his lips. "There was a Tibetan Disciple of Kunlun there as well, she fought alongside me and assisted me against that Miyubi person when she wanted me to become her Limiter and I refused."

Several questioning glances are exchanged around the table, each person sitting at the table with Kazuya asking themselves the same set of questions.

"Tibetan Disciple of Kunlun?" Hiiragi asks, not knowing what Kazuya is talking about. "You mean, a Pandora?"

Nodding Kazuya swallows his food, speaking casually.

"She claimed to be a second year transfer student, said she was here to locate her 'soul mate,' and seemed to be a very devout Disciple."

"Kazuya-kun, de arimasu!" A bright and cheery voice calls out from behind him, Kazuya turning around while the other students seated at the table look up in time to see a dark haired girl with a single long pony tail tied to one side of her head with a strange tattoo below one eye and dressed in a Pandora's uniform approach him, the 'new girl' smiling brightly. "I managed to convince Sister Margaret to allow me to begin attending classes today de arimaska! I'm very sorry I didn't wait for you in the Doctor's office, but Sister Margaret needed me to leave fill out some paper work, as your soul mate I promise it won't happen again de arimasu."

Sitting there Kazuya feels a cold realization hit him like a proverbial freight train.

_Wait, did she say 'soul mate?'_

Hearing this new girl call herself Kazuya's soul mate Satellizer balls her hands into fists, her bespectacled gaze snapping back and forth between Kazuya and this new arrival several times, taking in the shock in the atmosphere around Kazuya, the surprise in his body language, she can at least take comfort in the fact that he seems as surprised as she is.

"Soul mate?" Kazuya asks, just as surprised as the other students sitting at the table with him. "Lana-san, what are you talking about!"

**XXX**

Sitting in his office Gengo Aoi calmly looks at the screen of his computer. The lights are off and the light of the screen shines on his face, the man's weathered brow crinkled in concentration. On the screen before him sits an image with two strands intertwined with two other strands on either side of it. Staring at it Gengo sighs, leaning back in his chair and rubbing at his eyes tiredly. Opening his eyes again his gaze travels to the top of the screen, and the name displayed there.

"Aoi Kazuya, ever the mystery..." Gengo mutters.

Reaching out Gengo taps a few keys, the image of the four strands shifting to the left side of the screen, another nearly identical image appearing on the right. Looking up at the name above this image, Gengo sighs once again.

"Kazuha and Kazuya, two abnormalities that shouldn't even exist..." He mumbles tiredly.

Looking at the screen Gengo sits back again, trying to find the answer to his question just by staring at an image of Kazuya and Kazuha's genetic codes. For years he has scoured Kazuya's genetic code, searching for the source of his ability to meld so easily with the stigmata and use not only Freezing but the offensive powers of a Pandora as well. The thought that it might in fact be the extra two genetic strands and what is contained there having crossed his mind, but Gengo has to try and see if he can achieve the same results using only a single pair of genetic material or at worst a few pairs...

"He truly isn't human..." Gengo mutters to himself, watching the screen.

For years the UNSDF had Kazuya discreetly observed, every action analyzed by a team of psychologists. When they'd implanted the two stigmata in his back and he'd first manifested a Volt Weapon Gengo had been surprised. When Kazuya began to grow stigmata inside his own body, Gengo had known that the implanted tissues were reacting to the tissue already inside his body, and if it wasn't brought under control, Kazuya would literally change into a new type of NOVA. Thus Gengo had developed the first series of inhibitors, a serum that when injected into his body suppresses the growth of NOVA tissue and quite literally keeps him 'human.'

Once he'd 'stabilized' the decision was made to train Kazuya in the use of his weapon, and so they'd sent him to a Sniper School, and during his tenure there and the time that followed he'd never really reached out to his fellow soldiers, and when those around him saw what he was capable of doing, they instinctively distanced themselves from him, and while Gengo is no psychologist, it his belief that Kazuya knew on some instinctual level that he was different from the men and women around him, as different from them as they are from a Lion or Tiger, Kazuya looking at a normal person much akin to a human being looking at an android meant to look human, no matter how well made or how well programmed, deep down a normal person can just tell that an android isn't 'human,' and for Kazuya it's the exact same thing, he could just 'feel' that he was different from every other person around him, and thus withdrew...

A sudden knock at his office door snaps Gengo out of his daydream, the brilliant scientist tapping a few keys on his keyboard, the twin images disappearing from his screen before Gengo taps a button on his desk, a smooth 'click' coming from the door, the sound of the bolt retracting and the door unlocking.

"Enter." Gengo calls out, the door knob turning a moment later.

Standing in the doorway is a young blonde woman wearing a lab coat and casual business attire beneath it. Held in one hand is a digital data pad, the blue eyed woman striding into the room and holding the pad out for Gengo to take.

"Kazuya's latest test results, as you requested, sir." The woman says formally, Gengo taking the pad from her.

Looking at the screen the pad is locked, the word 'CLASSIFIED' displayed in large text on the screen. Tapping the screen a retinal scanner atop the pad activates, scanning Gengo's retina and insuring that he's authorized before the results appear on the screen, Gengo Aoi scrolling through them with his finger.

"I see..." Gengo murmurs, skimming the report, picking out the pertinent facts.

Tapping a corner the screen changes back to the large text, Gengo setting the pad down and looking up at the blonde woman standing quietly in front of his desk.

"What's the status on the Series Four Inhibitor?" Gengo asks, the woman blinking momentarily in surprise.

"We've just finished specimen testing." She reports to him, and Gengo nods.

"Good, then begin synthesizing enough to perform a full treatment. I want it at Genetics West in time for Kazuya's next treatment. Once that's done I want you to focus your efforts on the Series Five."

"But...we're still working on increasing the potency for the Series Five..." She offers, and Gengo stares at her calmly.

"Then take any personnel currently working on the Series Four testing and have them focus on development of the Series Five."

"It isn't just the potency, sir." The blonde counters. "We're also having problems developing a synthesis that will function as an aerosol..."

"Get it done..." Gengo counters evenly.

"Of course, sir..." She trails, ducking her head in supplication before turning around and leaving.

Closing the door behind her Gengo leans back in his chair, another sigh wisping past his lips.

_Back to work..._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Having spent most of his time amongst soldiers, Aoi Kazuya isn't used to being the object of romantic attention. Before coming to Genetics West he'd been a member of a Special Operations Team, the youngest member of that group other than him being in their mid twenties. For his tenure there he was treated as the 'little brother' of the team and looked out for by the other members. For a time they were the closest thing Kazuya had to a family, but deep down Kazuya has felt a strange disconnect with 'normal' people, like there is something strange about them that Kazuya can never quite put his finger on...

Among normal humans his skills and abilities made him a freak, no other soldier could summon his weapon from thin air, or could simply create ammunition out of nothing. They'd worked with him as their duty, and when he'd been assigned to The Pack they'd even looked out for him as one of their own, but there was still that disconnect, that strange sense of separation that Kazuya couldn't explain. Then he'd come to Genetics, and those very same skills and abilities that made him a freak and made normal people afraid of him made him desirable to other Pandoras.

After all, what other Limiter could not only use Freezing without synchronizing their senses and even provide fire support in combat?

So, with Lana hanging on his arm, Satellizer glaring at him like a wife who's just learned their husband is cheating, Kaho and Arthur both staring at him with slack jaws and disbelief on their faces, Kazuya doesn't know what to do. Of all the people sitting at the table only Satellizer's two friends, Yuki and Julia don't look angry, Julia looking at him with intrigue on her face, while Yuki doesn't seem to care, the girl quietly eating her food.

Looking at him Lana just stares a moment, seemingly not comprehending his question.

"Linchen-sempai, what are you talking about?" Kazuya asks again, surprise coloring his tone, and the young Tibetan seems to finally hear the question, cocking her head to one side quizzically.

"Don't you know about the Tears of Kunlun, de arimashou?" Lana asks, Kazuya shaking his head no.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's simple de arimasu." Lana begins cheerily. "It was foretold that I would come here and meet a man whose will is capable of staying evil's hand, and that man's will would resonate with my Tears of Kunlun and he would be my soul mate de arimasu."

Her explanation of the situation does nothing to help Kazuya understand what she's talking about.

"This Soul Mate...he's supposed to fight with you right?" Kazuya asks, and Lana bobs her head happily.

"Of course de arimaska!" Lana responds happily, her grip on his arm tightening lovingly. "I never thought that I would find you before I even became a student here!"

Her tone is blissfully happy, like she was just told she's just won a billion dollars, and Kazuya feels a pang of regret for the young Tibetan hanging on his arm. She's a seemingly innocent girl who hasn't done anything.

_She deserves to be with someone who can make her happy and give her a normal relationship, and I can't do that..._

"I'm sorry Linchen-sempai, but I can't be your soul mate." Kazuya explains for the girl, Lana's dark eyes blinking in surprise.

"What are you talking about Kazuya-kun de arimashou?" Lana asks, a slight tinge of hurt in her tone, and Kazuya slowly shakes his head in denial.

Around him the assembled students all listen intently, with their own reasons. Satellizer wanting to know exactly why Kazuya refuses a Pandora. Julia is also curious about that issue, but not as deeply as Satellizer. Arthur and Kaho are both curious as well.

"You deserve someone better than me Sempai." Kazuya says as gently as he can manage, feeling like he's telling a comrade's family that their son or daughter has died in combat, something he never enjoyed doing. "You deserve someone you can be intimate with, someone you can cherish and love..."

The young girl just stares at him, not comprehending what Kazuya is talking about.

"What do you mean Kazuya-kun de arimashou?" Lana asks again, her grip on his arm getting just a little tighter.

"Sempai, you deserve someone better than me." Kazuya explains quietly.

"What does that mean de arimashou?" Lana asks uncomprehending. "Is there something wrong with you Kazuya-kun de arimashou?"

The concern in her voice is impossible to deny.

"There are things about me that you don't know, things I don't want you to know and I pray you never find out." Kazuya says slowly, anyone within earshot listening intently to that statement and wondering just what he's talking about. Pulling on his arm Lana's grip seems to loosen, Kazuya's arm slipping through her grip as he continues. "For your own happiness, find another soul mate, forget about what happened today and start your search anew tomorrow."

"Does this have something to do with that seizure you had this morning de arimashou?" Lana asks, searching for a reason.

At the sound of her words Kazuya feels his heart stop mid beat.

Due to their physiology Pandoras and Limiters don't suffer from 'normal' health problems like seizures or even cancer. The Stigmatic tissue inside their bodies grants them a miraculous ability to heal and strength beyond the peak of human ability. For Kazuya those abilities are also a curse, due to the extremely high percentage of stigmatic tissue in his body, if he fails to undergo an inhibitor treatment on a regular basis his body will begin to change, and at worst he will become a new type of human/NOVA hybrid...

"That's..." Kazuya trails, his hands balling into fists.

For a moment all eyes rest on the Aoi male, the entire lunchroom seemingly going as quiet as a tomb.

"And just what is going on here?" A familiar voice calls out, the sound of heeled shoes against the tiled floor accompanying the voice.

Along with Satellizer, Lana, Arthur and Kaho Kazuya's head turns toward the source of the noise, his eyes taking in the sight of Elizabeth Mably approaching from the cafeteria doors, a young man with long dark hair tied into a pony tail following her.

Kazuya doesn't recognize him, but he is dressed in the male uniform, and with his proximity to Elizabeth Kazuya can only guess that the man must be her Limiter, Andre.

Stopping just outside of arm's reach from Lana and Kazuya Elizabeth places one hand on her right hip, the Reigning Queen's gaze panning left and right, searching for an answer to her question.

"Mably-sempai, this is..." Kazuya begins, trying to form an explanation for what was going on.

Unbeknownst to him Elizabeth entered the cafeteria shortly after Lana made her announcement, and she and her Limiter have been listening to the majority of the conversation.

"Who are you de arimashou?" Lana asks, Elizabeth's gaze snapping to the violet haired girl.

Elizabeth's gaze slowly panning her up and down the Reigning Queen doesn't recognize her, in spite of the fact that she'd made of point of at least knowing the faces and names of all the stand out Pandoras at the Academy, regardless of what class they're in, and she doesn't recognize the girl standing next to Kazuya who'd been hanging on his arm and calling him her soul mate.

"It's proper manners to offer one's own name _before_ asking another their name." Elizabeth admonishes Lana, the Tibetan blinking in surprise.

"You're correct, my apologizes de arimaska." Lana says with respectful nod. "I am Lana Linchen, I just transferred here as a second year student de arimasu."

"I see." Elizabeth answers, recognizing her name. "I am the Second ranked Third Year Vice President of the Student Council Elizabeth Mably." Elizabeth introduces herself.

Nodding Lana smiles at the older girl.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mably-sempai de arimasu." Lana says brightly, Elizabeth regarding her with suspicion in her gaze.

"And just what business do you have with Aoi Kazuya?" Elizabeth asks, Lana's smile fading from her lips, a slight frown replacing it as she glances at Kazuya and then back to Elizabeth.

"I believe he is my soul mate, however Kazuya doesn't believe that to be so, de arimasu." Lana responds quietly, and Elizabeth narrows her eyes toward the younger girl.

"And by 'soul mate' you mean your Limiter, correct?" Elizabeth counters, and Lana blinks in surprise.

"Limiter de arimashou?" Lana asks innocently.

"Yes." Elizabeth responds, raising a hand and motioning to the young man standing behind her and to her left. "This man is my Limiter, his name is Andre."

"Greetings." Andre offers in smooth voice, giving Lana a confident smile.

Before Elizabeth had chosen him Andre had been the target of several other second year girls, though ultimately Elizabeth had been the one to claim him. Not only were his abilities beyond average, but his looks and personality made him a veritable 'lady killer.'

That isn't to say it wasn't his choice to form a pair with Elizabeth, she was a highly sought after Pandora and hadn't chosen a partner until halfway through her second year. None of the other Pandoras in her class had dared to challenge her for Andre, she was nightmarishly strong and so far only Chiffon and Satellizer could stand against her in single combat and not be thoroughly trounced.

"Hello de arimaska." Lana offers in greeting, nodding toward Andre. "You are Elizabeth-sempai's soul-mate?"

Hearing that Andre chuckles, smiling nervously.

"Well, you could say that Madame and I share a very intimate relationship..." Andre responds coyly, Lana nodding emphatically.

"I understand de arimasu." Lana agrees, seeming to understand. "In this place you call your soul mate your Limiter de arimasu."

"Sort of." Andre agrees.

Lana then turns her attention to Kazuya again, her eyes bright and innocent.

"Kazuya-kun, will you become my Limiter de arimashou?" Lana asks, Kazuya slowly shaking his head no in response.

"I'm sorry Lana-sempai, but I can't do that." Kazuya responds solemnly.

"Why? Is there something wrong with me de arimashou?" Lana asks, a hint of pain in her voice at the implication that she isn't good enough for Kazuya.

"It's not you Lana-sempai." Kazuya says evenly. "It's..."

Opening his mouth to continue a voice comes from a speaker in the ceiling, interrupting the Aoi male before he can try to explain to Lana why he can't be her Limiter or Soul Mate or anything.

"Kazuya Aoi, please report to the Principal's Office." Sister Margaret's voice comes through the speaker, Satellizer and Elizabeth both blinking in surprise at the announcement.

Stepping back Kazuya's lips turn down in a slight frown.

"I have to go, we'll finish this discussion later Lana-sempai." Kazuya explains, turning and walking away from the conversation, leaving the mix of Pandoras and Limiters standing there, the majority of them curious as to why Kazuya is being called to Sister Margaret's office...

"I'm going to go see what is going on." Elizabeth says, Andre nodding permissibly.

"Of course Madame." He answers without hesitation.

Hearing Elizabeth Satellizer stands up as well.

"I...I'm going to." Satellizer announces, Lana nodding her head.

"Me too de arimasu." Lana agrees, Elizabeth stifling a sigh.

**XXX**

Walking into Sister Margaret's office Kazuya immediately notices that the Sister is not alone in her private office. A woman with dark hair tied into a bun atop her head and dressed in camouflage fatigues stands with her back to him.

Sitting behind her desk Sister Margaret looks up at his arrival, the woman looking between him and her guest silently, her fingers interlaced, her elbows on her desk, her chin resting on her knuckles.

Turning around the dark haired woman faces him, Kazuya's eyes drifting to her face the Aoi male instantly recognizes her, his body going ramrod straight without even thinking.

Eyes colored cobalt blue with smooth features, her beige skin lightly tanned. With an athletic frame she is hardly a model, instead Kazuya knows full well that the woman he's looking at is a career soldier, an officer no less...

_Clarissa Rawlings..._ Kazuya remembers her name.

"Sir!" Kazuya snaps off, his hand snapping up to his forehead in a precise salute.

Looking at him a slight smile comes to her features, her right arm slowly rising to her forehead the cobalt eyed officer returns Kazuya's salute casually.

"At ease Lieutenant." She offers easily, Kazuya lowering his arm, his stance relaxing somewhat at the woman's response.

"Lieutenant Commander Rawlings, I wasn't informed you would be visiting me today, sir..." Kazuya trails, naming the woman.

Chuckling the woman slowly shakes her head no, raising one hand and tapping the badge pinned on both of her shoulders.

"That's _Commander_ now Lieutenant." Rawlings casually rebukes Kazuya.

Blinking Kazuya lowers his head apologetically.

"Congratulations, I wasn't informed." Kazuya offers apologetically, Rawlings shaking her head dismissively.

"It's nothing little pup." Rawlings assures him. "You're no longer under my command, so there is no need for formalities."

"Ach hem..." Sister Margaret clears her throat, both Kazuya and Clarissa turning their head toward the Sister. "I hate to interrupt Commander, but do you honestly have time to waste on such formalities?"

"You're correct Sister." Clarissa offers; closing her eyes momentarily before turning her attention back to Kazuya. "I need your help little pup."

Her words are earnest and solemn, and Kazuya's immediate response is to shake his head no in response to her question.

"I don't do that anymore Commander." Kazuya responds solemnly, knowing exactly what Rawlings is asking of him.

"We have a situation little pup." Rawlings says insistently. "We need your help."

"I told you that I don't do that anymore." Kazuya says obstinately.

Rawlings turns away from the Aoi male momentarily, her hands balling into fists as her gaze rounds on Kazuya.

"I know that it isn't my place to ask you to help us, but the Japanese Prime Minister has personally asked for your assistance in this matter."

Meeting her gaze momentarily Kazuya looks away from her, shame in his eyes.

"Why don't the three of you come out of hiding?" Sister Margaret asks from behind her desk, Kazuya blinking in surprise at the Sister's sudden question.

_Who is she talking to?_

Turning around the door opens, three women dressed in Pandora uniforms all stand in the frame. Kazuya immediately recognizes the two blonde third years and the violet haired transfer student. Seeing them Kazuya suppresses a frustrated groan. They weren't supposed to be here, and he hadn't asked them to follow him to the Sister's office and eavesdrop on their conversation.

Meeting his gaze Satellizer blinks demurely and looks away, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. Turning his attention to Lana the Tibetan woman smiles, oblivious to her situation. Turning to Elizabeth the daughter of the Mably family doesn't show even the slightest hint of emotion, her face set in a calm, disinterested mask.

"What are you three doing here?" Kazuya asks bluntly.

"We came to find out what you'd done de arimasu." Lana offers without a hint of shame.

"Kazuya, who are these three?" Rawlings asks calmly, the Aoi male half turning toward his former commander.

"These girls are all Pandoras, comrades." Kazuya explains stoically.

"Are they?" Rawlings asks curiously, eying each girl for a moment before Sister Margaret speaks up, drawing the combined attention of any in ear shot.

"Kazuya...I know that it isn't my place to order you to do this, but Commander Rawlings needs your assistance. Please consider what she's asking of you..."

Listening Kazuya takes a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. Slowly his attention returns to Rawlings, Kazuya speaking slowly.

"What exactly do you want?" Kazuya asks, and Rawlings shakes her head slowly.

"I'll brief you on the way. I only came here to ask for your assistance. If you don't agree then there's no point in my explaining anything to you."

Sighing Kazuya looks down momentarily, balling his hands into fists.

"All right, I'll do it." Kazuya says solemnly, Rawlings nodding in affirmation.

"All right, let's go." Rawlings agrees, and Elizabeth clears her throat.

"I wish to accompany you." Elizabeth speaks up, and both Satellizer and Lana nod their head in agreement.

"Me too." Lana speaks up, Satellizer's face turning nearly tomato red as she nods.

Looking at the three of them Rawlings glances back at Margaret and Margaret stands up from behind her desk, looking at the three Pandoras standing in the doorway.

"You three wish to accompany Kazuya because you want to assist him, correct?" Margaret asks, and each of the three Pandoras nods before Margaret turns her attention back to Commander Rawlings.. "Commander, I believe these three wish to know more about Kazuya and what he has done with his life. I believe they can accompany you as three observers, nothing more."

"You three want to see what Kazuya did before he came to this Academy?" Rawlings asks the three of them, the three Pandora all nodding.

"All right then, so long as you follow orders." Rawlings agrees, Kazuya exhaling quietly.

_Great..._

Starting for the door Elizabeth, Satellizer and Lana all step back as Rawlings steps through the door frame, Kazuya following two steps behind her, the three Pandoras dropping into step with him, Kazuya walking with his hands behind his back, his hands balled into fists, his eyes straight ahead.

As the five of them head for the Academy's helipad Rawlings reaches into her right hip pocket, withdrawing a cell phone and opening it, dialing a number. The woman waits quietly as the phone rings once and then someone answers.

"I've got him."

**XXX**

Sitting on the Academy's helipad is a waiting VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing), the rotors already spinning up as Kazuya, Rawlings, Satellizer, Elizabeth and Lana approach. Stepping into the open cabin Kazuya pulls himself up into the cabin through the open side door, Satellizer, Lana and Elizabeth following with Rawlings entering last, the officer closing the door behind her, muting the rising sound of the engine and the thrum of the twin rotors.

Seats line both sides of the cabin, a small open doorway connecting the cockpit and the cabin, Kazuya taking a seat on the left side of the cabin, facing the door they'd entered. Satellizer and Elizabeth take the seats directly next to him, Lana frowning as she sits on the opposite side, caddy corner to Kazuya's position.

Looking at the four of them Rawlings quietly shakes her head in amazement before taking the seat next to Lana. Hanging above each bench are several headsets with attached microphones, Rawlings grabbing one and slipping it onto her head, Kazuya following suit. Satellizer, Elizabeth and Lana all quickly doing the same.

"Can you all hear me?" Rawlings asks, her voice coming through the speakers on the headset, the Aoi male nodding grimly.

"Loud and clear." Kazuya responds, the three Pandora all bobbing their heads in affirmation.

"Good." Rawlings begins crisply. "I'll begin briefing you now." Rawlings continues, pausing momentarily. "Five hours ago the daughter of the Japanese Prime Minister was taken hostage along with the rest of her sixth grade class while on a field trip. The Wolf Pack has been asked to deal with the situation, and the Prime Minister has specifically asked that you assist with the operation Kazuya." Rawlings explains to him.

Nodding Kazuya absorbs the information silently, a very familiar feeling coming to him as he listens to her briefing, as though he never left the unit at all...

The 'Wolf Pack' is the world's foremost counter terrorism unit. Comprised of the best operatives from across the globe it has been responsible for resolving some of the worst hostage crises in the last decade, the team responsible for saving over a thousand lives and many more dead terrorists.

"The hostage takers are calling themselves the Children of Eden, and they're saying that the Japanese Government needs to cut it's ties with the Genetics Program, claiming that the NOVAs are the biblical Horseman of the Apocalypse here to cleanse humanity from the planet." Rawlings explains, Kazuya nodding his understanding.

Ever since the NOVAs appeared there have been several extremist groups claiming to have finally understood the NOVAs intentions, many of them claiming that the extra dimensional creatures are some religious figure or implement of destruction of the End of Days. Even in these times of dire danger from an outside threat, the governments of the world may have banded together but humanity as a species has yet to fully band together and truly unite.

"What are their demands?" Kazuya asks, and Rawlings meets his gaze, her voice coming out dead even.

"They're demanding that the Japanese Government kill every Pandora and Limiter at both Genetics West and East and then destroy the buildings and all the related research material."

"That's insane." Elizabeth chimes in. "There's no way any world government would agree to that."

"Exactly." Rawlings answers evenly. "In the eyes of the governments of the world no single regular human life is worth the destruction of _any_ Genetics Academy or the death of any of their students. The Pandoras and Limiters are mankind's only weapons against the NOVAs, no one is going to sacrifice them unless absolutely necessary."

"Then why would they take hostages?" Kazuya speaks up. "Why would they make these demands when they know that the Japanese Government will never agree?"

Lowering her eyes Clarissa's next words are pitched low, her voice barely audible through the speakers in the headsets.

"From what I can gather they aren't expecting the Japanese government to acquiesce to their demands. They _want_ the government to say no, to prove to the average person that their governments no longer value the average citizen, that protection of the 'freaks and their school' is what is most important to them."

"They mean to start a revolution..." Elizabeth trails, Rawlings slowly nodding in response to her statement.

"They're recording everything they've done so far, and they're broadcasting it all over the internet. The local government has scrambled their wireless communications but they appear to be using a hard connection or maybe piggybacking on the military's own signal." Rawlings explains to the four of them. "Either way they intend to broadcast everything they do, and when the deadline passes with the Japanese government refusing to agree to their demands they're going to kill their hostages, starting with the Prime Minister's daughter as a message not only to him, but the world as well."

"How do they plan to kill the hostages?" Kazuya asks, and Rawlings' gaze flickers to him momentarily.

"They've strapped bomb vests to the children and have already killed all the chaperones. They're saying if anyone makes a move on their position then they'll detonate the vests. To make matters worse they're all heavily armed, and have the children gathered in the courtyard of a shrine. The local police have cordoned off the area and formed a stable perimeter, but it's only a matter of time until things get ugly." Rawlings explains to him.

"What's the plan?" Kazuya asks calmly.

Nodding a part of Clarissa is glad to see Kazuya focused on the mission. When he'd left he'd done so with a heavy conscience, Kazuya burdened by the death and destruction he's not only witnessed, but caused himself in the name of 'the greater good.'

Another part, however is stricken with guilt over having him here. When she'd first gotten the order to seek him out Rawlings had said no, saying that they could handle the operation without him, but the Prime Minister had been insistent, and under pressure from the Japanese Government Rawlings had been forced to fold. She didn't want to bring Kazuya back to this, but she didn't have a choice.

She'd been happy to let him leave, he is far too young to have seen what he's seen and done the things he's done. Rawlings only recruited him in the first place because she'd caught wind of a Sniper capable of accurately hitting targets at distances beyond a mile and a half. For most snipers a mile long shot is the limit, so she'd used her connections to recruit Kazuya into her Pack.

Then she'd learned what he'd been doing _before_ she'd recruited him. As time went on and Kazuya opened up not only to her but his teammates and he told them what he'd done and why, several of the other Wolves had been disgusted. Kazuya was and still is a teenage boy, no matter what special talents he has it doesn't change the fact that he's still a child, and he deserves to have some semblance of 'normalcy' in his life.

After that the rest of her wolves began to look out for him, they started calling him 'Little Pup' as his call sign, they even took him out shopping a few times when they had the leave, trying desperately to give the boy some positive memories...

"We're arranging for Scar, Jester, Mist and Joker to HALO jump over the shrine. They'll coordinate with you and when the time is right you will neutralize the first target. Once you take your first shot the other wolves will fire from the air, your sniper fire combined with theirs neutralizing the remaining targets and hopefully killing them all before they can get a shot off or use a detonator."

"The distance from my position to the target?" Kazuya asks.

"We're going to station you on an office building just under a mile from the shrine where the terrorists are holed up." Rawlings explains. "You'll have a clear line of sight to the target. Unfortunately the terrorists have strapped explosives to their chests, so you'll have to aim for their heads. Any shot to the chest could cause the explosives to go off and kill the hostages."

"Got it." Kazuya says gamely, Rawlings sighing as the pilot's voice comes through their speakers.

"Fifteen minutes to drop point."

"Roger." Rawlings responds, closing her eyes and telling herself that this is what has to happen, that without Kazuya's assistance something could wrong and innocent people will die.

In time, Commander Clarissa Rawlings hopes that she will believe it...

**XXX**

Sitting in the cabin Kazuya can feel the VTOL slow as the pilot raises the propellers, the vehicle slowing as the pilot brings the craft to a stable landing. Outside the sound of the rotors dies down as the pilot shuts everything down.

With the sound of the rotors gone Rawlings slips the headset from her head, the older woman standing up before heading for the door. Up in the cockpit Kazuya notices the co pilot opening the side door, slipping out onto the ground. A few moments later the cabin door opens, the co pilot standing outside, motioning for them to exit the VTOL. Slipping the headset from his head Kazuya stands, Satellizer, Elizabeth and Lana following his lead.

Rawlings jumps out first, her booted feet landing on the concrete roof of the office building. Kazuya follows, the Aoi male bending his knees when his feet touch down. Stepping away from the side of the craft Satellizer, Elizabeth and Lana all follow suit, looking around at the city around them.

They are over fifteen stories in the air, the VTOL set down on a large patch of open roof, several armed men dressed in combat gear and holding assault rifles waiting on the rooftop.

"This way." Rawlings says to the four of them, walking toward the far side of the building.

His eyes following his former Commander Kazuya spots a tripod mounted spotter scope stationed near the edge of the roof, what looks like radio gear on one side of it, a sniper's mat on the opposite side.

Just looking at Kazuya can already tell what Rawlings has planned.

"The shrine is over there." Rawlings points toward a small speck in the distance, Kazuya squinting and barely able to make out any details.

"I take it I'm to set up here?" Kazuya half asks, and Rawlings nods solemnly.

"Correct." She responds solemnly, a part of her dreading what is about to happen.

Exhaling Kazuya lies down on the mat, activating his Volt texture, his rifle appearing in his hands. Folding down his weapon's bi-pod Kazuya rests the rifle against the ground, dialing up the magnification. Looking through his scope it's as though the world suddenly jumps forward, Kazuya suddenly able to make out several masked men armed with AK-47 rifles wearing ski masks surrounding an open air shrine courtyard. Slowly panning his weapon left to right Kazuya can see that there are eight armed men patrolling a group of thirty docile children, all the children wearing vests lined with explosives.

His first instinct being to shoot Kazuya intentionally takes his finger off the trigger. Shooting now would only cause more problems than it would solve, much as he may want to end the lives of whatever heartless scum that would take an eight year old child hostage.

Standing next to him Rawlings kneels, peering through the spotter scope, the tripod mounted optic even more capable than the custom optic on Kazuya's M107. Peering through the scope Rawlings can see everything Kazuya can, and with the flip of a switch she can switch to thermal or light amplification mode, allowing her to see in the dark or to see a person's body heat through the scope.

"The operation will begin in three hours." Rawlings says, stepping back away from the spotter scope. "Their deadline isn't for another six hours and someone will stay here and keep watch." Rawlings explains to Kazuya. "The rest of the Pack is nearby getting prepped, I'm sure they'd like to see you again, and I'm sure they'd like to meet your friends..."

For just a moment Kazuya doesn't say or do anything, his attention fixed on what he sees through the rifle's scope, Satellizer, Elizabeth and Lana all looking at him intently. They know next to nothing about what Kazuya did before coming to Genetics, and it is only through his own admittance that he spent time as a member of a counter terrorism unit.

With the opportunity to learn more about him and maybe understand why he views himself in such a negative light hanging right in front of them, neither Satellizer, Lana or Elizabeth are going to say no.

His rifle disappearing Kazuya stands up, brushing himself off momentarily before he turns his attention to Rawlings.

"Sure, I'd like to see everyone again." He answers her with his lips turned up in a slight smile, Rawlings smiling slightly at the slight hint of happiness in his tone.

Motioning toward the stairs Rawlings speaks evenly.

"Follow me then."

Without another word Rawlings heads toward the stairs, Kazuya falling into step behind him, Satellizer, Elizabeth and Lana all walking with him.

"This is the first time I've seen you smile Kazuya." Elizabeth points out, Kazuya glancing at her momentarily as he responds.

"I worked with these people for over a year." Kazuya answers her. "They were like an adopted family for me. As the team's sniper I watched out for them, I did everything I could to protect them from threats that they didn't even know where there."

Listening Rawlings doesn't say anything, curious as to how this conversation will play out.

"You protected them." Satellizer says, and Kazuya shrugs his shoulders.

"I guess." Kazuya says quietly, Lana smiling at him.

"Your Kunlun is very self deprecating Kazuya-kun, de arimasu." Lana points out, Elizabeth biting her tongue before she can scoff in disgust.

_What else are you going to tell us Captain obvious? The sun is very hot?_

Kazuya looks back at Lana a moment, ultimately deciding not to say anything.

"I...I don't think you're a bad person for working with these people." Satellizer says, Elizabeth nodding in agreement.

"I don't either."

"Me neither de arimasu." Lana chimes in.

Looking at the three of them a moment Kazuya drops his gaze as they reach the door leading inside, Rawlings opening the door and stepping through, leading them toward the rest of her Wolf Pack.

_The reason I don't want a Pandora isn't because I'm ashamed of what I've done while I was a Wolf..._ Kazuya thinks to himself.

Leading them down a single flight of stairs Rawlings turns left at the bottom of the flight, opening the door onto the top floor of the office building, revealing a bland and unassuming hallway like many others in the various company buildings all over the world.

The floor is covered with light gray carpet, the walls a soft white color with recessed lighting in the ceiling. Lightly stained wooden doors line both sides of the hall, and Rawlings walks to the first, the sound of her boot steps muted against the carpet.

Opening the door Kazuya half expects to see an office filled with people, but instead he finds an evacuated office filled with empty cubicles. Near the door Kazuya spots a utility belt hanging on one of the cubicle walls, the sounds of conversation wafting to his ears as the Aoi male and his three Pandora 'friends' follow Rawlings into the room.

"I can't believe that Wolf Mama is gonna bring the little pup back..." A throaty voice says, the sounds of buckles being buckled and metal slapping against metal sporadically interrupting the speaker.

"You heard her." A female voice responds matter of factly. "The Prime Minister himself asked specifically for Kazuya. When he made that long shot he got a lot of attention."

Walking around the corner of the cubicle Rawlings looks into the cubicle, the conversation dying almost immediately.

"Attention!" A male voice barks, the four Wolves snapping to attention as Kazuya, Satellizer, Lana and Elizabeth follow

Standing inside the empty cubicle are four people, all of them in their mid twenties and built like Olympic athletes. All three are covered from the neck down in black fatigues and body armor. Weapons sit on the cubicle's two tables, a mixture of handguns and assault rifles.

One of them is African American, his head shaved bald with dark eyes. The second is a female Israeli, her dark hair tied into a tight bun atop her head. The third is a Caucasian male with close cropped red hair and a jagged scar running down his left eye and bisecting the eyebrow above the eye. The fourth and final wolf is a woman, Kazuya knowing that she's from the United Kingdom with blonde hair nearly shaved off with dark blue eyes.

"At ease." Rawlings says smoothly.

Each of the four of them lower their arms, dropping from a salute they all look toward Kazuya, the two women smiling while the African man shakes his head, a slight smile on his face, the Caucasian grinning at the sight of him.

"Just couldn't stay away, could you little pup?" The red haired wolf asks, slipping by his British comrade to offer Kazuya his hand.

"How have you been Scar?" Kazuya asks, referring to the man by his call sign as Kazuya takes his hand.

"Pretty good." Scar answers as he shakes Kazuya's hand, lowering his arm.

"Good to see you Kazuya." The British woman offers, and Kazuya nods.

"You too Mist."

"How you been kid?" The Israeli asks, Kazuya shrugging his shoulders indifferently.

"I've been living Jester." Kazuya identifies her.

"Your skills haven't slipped any have they little pup?" The African asks jokingly and Kazuya shakes his head no.

"You'd be surprised how much I have to use my training where I am now, Joker." Kazuya identifies the fourth Wolf.

Grinning Joker's dark eyes pan over the three women behind Kazuya, a low whistle escaping his lips.

"Holy statutory..." He mutters appreciatively, Elizabeth and Satellizer shifting backwards on their feet, suspicion coming to their blue eyes.

"Statutory de arimashou?" Lana asks curiously, not quite understanding the word.

"I'll explain that later Lana-sempai." Kazuya says dismissively.

Looking at the three students behind Kazuya the red haired scared commando shakes his head in disbelief.

"I never figured you were such a fast operator little pup..." He trails, and a light tint comes to Kazuya's cheeks at the sound of Scar's words.

"That isn't how it is!" Kazuya insists, and Elizabeth clears her throat.

"I believe I can say I speak for all of us when I say that the three of us are all interested in Kazuya, and came here as observers." Elizabeth explains, Satellizer and Lana nodding in agreement.

"Wow..." Joker trails, Kazuya quickly speaking up, cutting the older man off.

"It's only because I'm unique that they want me." Kazuya explains matter of factly, Satellizer slowly shaking her head no at his statement.

"That's not true de arimaska!" Lana insists. "I've told you already that you are my soul mate Kazuya-kun!"

"I..." Satellizer trails, feeling a rush of embarrassment at the prospect of speaking out publicly about how she feels about Kazuya.

How can she says that Kazuya doesn't scare the living daylights out of her when he touches her? How can she explain that her half brother nearly molested her and has left her with flashbacks every time a man gets close to her?

She just can't explain that to these people. She can hardly even talk about it with her older half sister Violet, who knows exactly what transpired and was the one to take her away from Louis in the first place...

Jester mouths the words 'soul mate' and Joker shakes his head, stifling a laugh. Mist looks at Satellizer, Elizabeth and then Lana, exhaling and slowly shaking her head after a moment. Scar just chuckles, his lips curling in a mirthful smirk.

"She means she believes Kazuya to be her Limiter." Elizabeth chimes in, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "Being the only Limiter of his kind the position of his Pandora is highly sought after, though Kazuya has yet to even give anyone consideration."

Half turning toward Elizabeth Kazuya's voice is dead even.

"I have my reasons." He responds matter of factly.

"We are all well aware of that fact." Elizabeth counters, a hint of displeasure in her tone.

For a moment no one says anything, and then Kazuya turns his attention back toward the four Wolf Pack commandos.

"It was nice seeing you all again." His voice carries just the barest hint of warmth before he turns around, slipping between Satellizer and Elizabeth and walking out of the office room and into the hall.

"Wow..." Jester trails, Mist sending a him a scalding glare, the look shutting the male commando up immediately as Lana, Elizabeth and Satellizer turn to follow Kazuya.

On her way out Elizabeth makes a mental note to speak to Commander Rawlings in private once the situation is resolved...

**XXX**

Finding the door to the roof hanging open Elizabeth, Lana and Satellizer all head for the roof, finding Kazuya standing near the spotter scope, his eyes ahead, looking toward the shrine and the hostage situation in progress.

Not knowing what to say Lana and Satellizer hang back, watching him while trying to think of something to broach a conversation. Elizabeth on the other hand steps forward, approaching his side but leaving half an arm's length between them, her crystalline gaze following his, her voice coming out evenly.

"You want to talk about what just happened Kazuya?" Elizabeth asks, the Aoi glancing toward her a moment before his gaze reverts back to the shrine in the distance.

"I..." He trails momentarily, as if searching for what he wants to say. "I...left this life. I went to Genetics to fight against the NOVA, but here I am, right back here, about to take up arms against human beings, again..."

"I can understand Kazuya..." Elizabeth begins slowly. "You don't like having to shoot and kill people."

"It's like it's my destiny..." He trails, his hands balling into fists. "No matter how hard I try I can't seem to get away from it..."

"This is a special case Kazuya." Elizabeth reminds him. "If not for the Prime Minister's daughter being involved you never would've been asked to assist."

Closing his eyes Kazuya's shoulders seem to slouch in defeat.

"And how long until the next 'special case?' How long until I'm ordered to come back to this again, or worse...?"

_Or worse...? What is he talking about?_

Keeping the thoughts to herself Elizabeth doesn't say anything for a moment.

"No one can make you do anything you don't want to." Elizabeth says. "Just because someone orders you to do something doesn't mean you _have_ to comply."

Opening his eyes Kazuya looks at her sideways, his expression uncomprehending.

"How can you say that?" Kazuya asks quietly. "We're soldiers. The reason we train and study is to one day fight for humanity's very survival."

"We _are_ soldiers Kazuya." Elizabeth agrees, crossing her arms over her bosom. "But just because we're soldiers doesn't mean that we _aren't_ people. No matter how much we train, we always have a choice, and we always have the responsibility to ensure that we're fighting to protect those who can't protect themselves. If we aren't then we have every right to question what we're told."

Looking at her Kazuya can't believe what he's hearing. Elizabeth is the second strongest third year Pandora, she's well known as possibly the second strongest Pandora in the _World_, and yet she's standing there, telling him that it's OK to question an order? Soldiers don't question their orders, they do what they're told, they may not like it but they still do it.

Looking away from her Kazuya doesn't know what to say to that. He's never questioned orders before. Whenever he's been told to do something, he does as instructed without question, just as he was trained to do.

"I...I suppose..." Kazuya trails noncommittally, the idea still hard for him to wrap his head around...


End file.
